


Frostbite

by TruebornAlpha



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Snow Queen Fusion, Angst, Dark Shiro (Voltron), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fairy Tale Retellings, Falling In Love, Fractured Fairy Tale, Friends to Lovers, Hunter Shiro, M/M, Magic, Prince Keith, SHEITH - Freeform, Snow Queen Elements, Snow and Ice, Winter, Wolf Puppies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-23
Updated: 2017-01-19
Packaged: 2018-09-11 11:38:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 39,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8978134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TruebornAlpha/pseuds/TruebornAlpha
Summary: Far away in a land of eternal winter, the Snow Prince Keith ruled over his frozen lands with cruelty and magic. Only a brave hunter named Shiro can find a way to save the cold, heartless prince. Or destroy him.A Sheith Snow Queen Fairytale.





	1. Introduction

Once upon a time, a powerful Queen ruled the land of ice and snow far to the north. Like its sovereign, the land was full of wondrous hidden beauty that lurked deep within its bleak, frozen heart. Dense pine forests dotted its southern most edges, the ancient trees whispering secrets to each other as they swayed without even a hint of breeze. Dangerous creatures lurked in its shadows, things not quite man and not quite beast that stalked unwary travelers that wandered where they should not.

Further north, barren, frozen tundras gave way to towering snow-capped mountains and stormy coasts where the wind never stopped howling. Giants lurked among the rocky ranges while dire wolves hunted under the moon. The creatures of this land were monstrous, the few mortals who clung to life along its edges even more so. The only way to survive in the Kingdom of Winter was through cruelty. In this land of eternal frost, the Snow Queen ruled with absolute power from a palace built of stone and ice, surrounded by mountains and a frozen lake that had never thawed.

But even with all of the power and magic of winter at her command, the Queen wanted more. She dreamed of an indescribable warmth that sometimes felt like it could burn her frozen fingers. She longed for the lush lands of the south where the sun coaxed life from the earth of a thousand kinds in brilliant colors she had no names for.

The Queen spent many days sitting in front of her magic mirror, casting her eyes over the lands of summer, jealously wishing she could reach through the glass and steal even a piece of it back to her frigid demesne. She was especially drawn to the humans who lived in those hands, fascinated by their brief lives that ignited with the spark of a flame and burned out just as quickly. They were strange creatures, constantly changing and consumed by passions she couldn’t understand.

Then she saw him.

A Prince from a faraway land, the leader of a proud, honorable people. There was a fury around him, a never-ending vigor that drew her like a moth to a flame. The Queen would be denied no longer. With a stroke of inspiration, she broke a shard off her magic mirror, and summoned her swiftest, most powerful guardian, a great snowy owl. It carried the shard in its beak for many weeks before it found the Prince and used it to pierce his heart.

All the Snow Queen had to do was wait. The shard spread poison through the Prince’s veins, until all he could think of was its mistress. He traveled to the great north, spellbound and ill, to fall to his knees at the Queen’s throne. He became her most trusted servant, a loyal, deadly warrior who would do anything she bid. Something had come alive in the Queen. She imagined that she’d stolen a spark of the human’s vitality. It left her warmer than she ever knew, and made her chest ache with unspoken wants. She would never release the prince from her service, but every day, he grew more cold, like the ice that built her palace.

Until one day, a Hero arrived on her noble steed, braving the eternal winter of the Queen’s realm with fierce determination and an unwavering might. The Queen cursed. The Hero had been allowed to progress too far while she’d been distracted by her newfound love, and it tore through her like a venom.

Her lover stepped forward with sword in hand to defend her against the Hero. Under the thrall of the Snow Queen, the Prince would do anything to ensure his mistress was protected and as the blades clashed in her throne room, the Queen felt a moment of what could only be fear. But even with all of her magic and the skill of her champion, the Hero would not fall.

It wasn’t the battle that was her undoing. It was the power of a true love so strong that her curse shattered under its strength. The Hero beat back the Queen’s protector again and again, spilling crimson across the floor with shaky arms, but even as she stood over the Prince, victorious and pleading, he cried for his Queen until she fell to her knees with a sob. The Hero’s tears washed the shard of mirror from her Prince’s heart, letting him feel again and healing the cold wound of cruelty that had grown inside of him. The Prince and the Hero embraced as the Snow Queen raged before turning on their tormentor. The Snow Queen fought with all the violence of a winter storm, but even she couldn’t freeze the warmth of love between them.

They struck her down and left her living, but grievously injured, before returning to the summer lands hand-in-hand. They won their happily ever after and spent it together.

The Snow Queen barely survived, slowly eaten away from the inside. Her own heart carried a love, twisted and cruel as it was, melting through her ice until she knew she wouldn’t survive. But though she’d lost the mortal that had made her feel joy and passion for the first time in her long life, she kept a tiny piece of him for herself. A child, born from their union with hair as dark as the Prince and skin pale as her own. She named the child Keith, and though she was incapable of any love, she raised him in her icy world until her unhealing wounds stole the last of her power.

It was with her final breath that she drew her son near, desperate to save him from the same tragedy,a kindness in its own way and the only gift she ever gave him. She reached inside him and pulled out his heart, freezing it in her palm so that he would never fall prey to the same weakness. He would be invulnerable and immortal, free from the love that had killed his mother. The child wailed, torn apart in unimaginable agony, but he never shed a tear for his mother’s passing.

The Kingdom of Winter grew colder and more treacherous with each passing year. Terrible stories echoed through the mountains about the unforgiving Snow Prince that reigned over the impassable tundra, taking his mother’s place on the throne. They whispered that he was even more powerful, and more vicious, than the Queen, though no one had ever encountered the Prince and lived to tell their tale.

The Snow Prince was the source of many horrible legends, his name as poisoned a promise as his mother’s touch, but our story is not of his triumphs. Our story is of his downfall, and the young hunter who destroyed him

 


	2. Chapter 2

Shiro crouched in the underbrush, straining his hearing to pick up any sound in the quiet forest. A gentle breeze rustled the trees above his head and he breathed in the clean, crisp scent of pine. Some small animal rustled nearby, snuffling under dried leaves for food. A rabbit perhaps, he had two already strung to his hip.

He gave a chirruping whistle like a bird, and a gray shadow moved to his side, completely silent. Shiro didn’t even have to look as the hunting dog slipped between the shadows, belly low to the ground and every muscle tense as it strained forward. He couldn’t see the others of the pack, but he knew they were there, tracking the same sound and flanking the creature.

They worked as a team. Shiro had raised each one himself. They communicated without a word, trusting each other through years of hunting alone with no one but their own little family. Every year, it seemed like he had to work harder to bring back meat and pelts to trade and Shiro had to range farther from home with his pack to hunt enough to find enough pelts to sell.

He whistled again and the dog burst from the underbrush, driving the rabbit from its hiding place. It streaked through the trees and into the waiting jaws of the pack, a trap they’d perfected with ease. The dogs leaped on their prey as Shiro darted forward, quickly killing the rabbit with his knife before patting his friends on the heads.

“Good job, guys!”

Normally that would have been enough for a decent meal, but this time, Shiro had a job to do and more mouths to feed. Today, like he had for the past week, Shiro had been guiding a small group of survivors across the lands to reach the Kingdom of Abirene. For decades, great thundering storms had ravaged the land in the spring and powerful hurricanes battered all that remained in the autumn, destroying their homes and driving people towards the mountains. Fields lay in ruins and villages were abandoned, even the calm months of summer wasn’t enough to see them through. Every year seemed to get worse, the only option was to flee and hope to find sanctuary.

Shiro had only traveled so far North once, and it had almost ended in tragedy. These woods were a magical, dangerous place. With every passing day, they grew more and more treacherous. There was more alive than there should have been among the whispering trees that felt almost like they were watching him, but he didn’t have a choice. It was the fastest route to Abirene, even if it took them too close to the fabled lands of the Ice Prince with winter quickly approaching. Shiro hoped that the brief calm would last long enough for them to pass safely through.

Star leaned against his leg with a whine and Shiro reached down to scratch her back. She was the oldest of the hunting dogs and kept the pack in line. Even the rowdy twins who were barely more than pups, wrestling and playing on their first real hunt. Star snapped her jaws at the pair who yipped and skittered off as Shiro laughed.

“It’s okay, I think that’s enough for now.” He teased as the dogs gathered around, tails thumping against the ground. “It’s getting dark, we should set up camp.” 

As he turned to leave, there was a rustle in the trees. He thought he caught a glimpse of white in the forest canopy, so quick, he almost thought he imagined it. Shiro shook his head. He couldn’t go back to the others without bringing back something large enough to replenish their stores. Another day or so and he should be able hunt enough, until then, he tried to put the worry out of his mind.

They built their small camp with practiced efficiency, the dogs lounging around and watching Shiro do all the work. He started a small fire beside his tent, just enough to stay warm and spill a circle of light around them as the night’s shadows moved in. The dogs were slightly more interested when Shiro roasted their catch, scooting closer to whine for pieces of rabbit.

“You lazy furballs.” The hunter snorted as the twins begged for another piece. “Tomorrow, we’ve got to bring down a deer, you hear me? That should be enough to get folks through another week. Hopefully, we’ll be in Abirene by then.” It was always such a one sided conversation, but Shiro spent more months alone with his pack then he did with people and the dogs were always willing to listen as he rambled on to fill the silence.

He talked about anything and everything that came to mind. He didn’t even stop when movement flickered at his periphery.

There it was again. That ripple of white. He turned his head slowly, always keeping the creature just out of his direct line of sight, so as not to alert it of his attention, but when Star inched closer for comfort, Shiro scratched her shaggy head a little less warmly than he normally would have. Then he saw it, with feathers like freshly fallen snow and eyes as black as the night, a great owl perched on the highest branch of a sycamore, just outside his camp. Its haunting gaze followed him like he was little more than a field mouse, and a chill rippled down Shiro’s spine. The hunter still recognized opportunity. Those feathers would fetch a handsome price. If Shiro was lucky, he could buy a few nights at an inn. The promise of a warm bed made his knees feel weak.

Star’s tail wagged, sensing his resolve, but this prize was out of his friends’ reach. Shiro could be the only one to catch it. He was careful, kept his posture easy as he reached inside his boot to withdraw a long hunting knife. It was a long shot, but Shiro had taken worse risks.

A pause.

In one smooth motion, he spun on his side, letting loose his blade. It almost looked like the owl froze in shock. Then Shiro hit his mark, and everything changed.

Steel crashed against the owl’s torso. The weapon shattered like glass on contact, and all of a sudden, Shiro went cold. He was running before he could catch his breath, leaving his camp behind, his pack immediately at his heels. It felt like he was already too late. A vicious cry echoed through the forest, chasing after him with ever step.

A monster! He should have known better than to strike at the owl, he’d just been blinded by the chance to cut his hunting trip short. The sooner he could get enough to sell, the sooner they could keep moving away from this cursed forest. The owl had just been too great a prize to resist and now, whatever it was snapped at his heels.

A dog yelped in pained surprise behind him, trying to stop the creature from attacking, but being knocked aside by a gust of wind. Shiro whistled sharply, commanding his pack to race on ahead. Star gave a low whine, but Shiro whistled again and she followed orders, Shiro right on her tail.

Spirit or a beast? There was no way to tell and his experience with both was limited. Sometimes he stumbled on things deep in the forests that a mortal man shouldn’t see, but he knew better than to disturb bathing dryads or fairy rings. He risked a glance behind him, only catching a flurry of white feathers and angry eyes. A beast he could handle with a little luck, even if it was a magical one. If he’d angered a spirit of some kind, his chances weren’t good.

Shiro didn’t break stride as he slung his bow from his back, knocking an arrow and twisting with a hunter’s grace to shoot the creature. The arrow flew true, but the beast snapped the shaft from its feathered chest, descending on the young man like a storm. He abandoned any hope of defending himself, pouring all of his strength into speed. If he could just outrun the creature, then maybe there was a little hope. There’d be safety back inside the ring of refugees, their swords and cold iron should be enough to deter any woodland spirit from venturing too close.

There were lights in the distance. Their group knew better than to rest so deep in the woods, but if they hadn’t been awake, Shiro’s howling pack would have roused them from slumber. Their fires blazed through the darkness, beacons of hope that left Shiro’s heart singing even as he felt the creature’s stare weighing him down. He was so close, safety just a hairsbreadth away, and his muscles ached with strain. A deafening shriek echoed overhead.

Then there was nothing.

Shiro burst through the camp’s perimeter. It was already alert and aware. Those who could arm themselves had taken up weapons. Those who couldn’t huddled around the center of the camp, trying not to draw attention. They were all ready to run.

“What is it, boy?” The village elder demanded, her pock-marked hands steady around a dead man’s sword. “Where’s the trouble?”

Shiro doubled over, trying to catch his breath. They didn’t push him, but the air was thick with tension. The woods were silent now, but it was a taut silence, poisoned by dread.

“The woods,” Shiro started. “There’s something in the woods, we have to…” But he trailed off in surprise, as his breath misted before his eyes.

Frost crept along the grass like icy blades, clouding the swords as the metal grew too cold to hold. A blast of freezing air whipped through the camp, dousing the sputtering campfires and stealing the very air from their lungs. The refugees wheezed, each breath sharp and painful as the chill crept into their bones. Shiro’s hunting dogs bristled with menace, stiff-legged and snarling at the trees.

A whirl of snow swirled through the clearing, the flakes coalescing into a form and growing solid until a young man stood at the edge of the refugee camp. Even if he looked human, there was no mistaking the creature for any mortal. Its skin was so pale it was almost white, hair an ebony black, and its dark eyes an almost violet that swept through the camp with a cool detachment. He was dressed all in white, a fur rough around his neck and adorned with silver buckles. Shiro had never seen clothes so fine and as the creature moved, the light caught a glittering crown nestled in the stranger’s dark hair, glinting in silver and ice.

The creature held out one gloved hand and a large snowy owl landed on his fist, ruffling its pure white feathers as it regarded the huddled humans. Shiro drew his hunting knife slowly, not wanting to threaten the unearthly creature, but moving to put himself between him and the refugees.

There was no mistaking who he was.

“You are trespassing in  _my_  lands.” The Ice Prince said, voice as cold and sharp as a blade.

“We meant no harm.” Shiro started, and was immediately cut off by a scream. He meant to turn, but it was too late. Icicles burst from the ground, trapping his legs and binding his wrists. In seconds, he was frozen in place, like every other person in the clearing, and it was so terribly cold. He gasped but even that hurt. The cold dug through his skin, settling into his bones, and Shiro couldn’t remember ever feeling so helpless.

The Prince surveyed them with indifference, ignoring their pleas before turning his attention back on Shiro. “Who sent you?”

Something in the hunter’s chest ache, fear rattling against his bones, but it wasn’t alone. Indignation and horror swept through them, leaving him breathless with fury, but he wasn’t the only one whose life was on the line. More than ever he couldn’t afford to be reckless. He didn’t have any of the answers the Ice Prince wanted to hear, but Shiro prayed it would still be enough. “No one.” His teeth chattered when he spoke, and Shiro could swear he heard his pulse slow. “Please, we’re just. We’re just travelers. We didn’t mean to bother you.”

“Liar.” The accusation was thrown with no inflection, but Shiro cried out as spikes formed along the inside of his prison. They were almost sharp enough to draw blood. Almost. “Who lead you this way?”

“I did.” Shiro gasped as his prison constricted. “I led them here, it’s not their fault. We didn’t mean to trespass on your land!”

“Murderer.” The Prince hissed, stalking closer. The owl on his arm ruffled its feathers and clacked its beak in warning. “Hunter. I saw you stalking my woods. You were sent to kill my pet!”

“It was a mistake.” Shiro pleaded as icy spines pressed into his chest, slowing driving themselves through his skin. “I meant no disrespect, I didn’t know it was yours. I was just trying to feed my people.”

“Your people.” A sneer split the Prince’s perfect face as he stalked through the frozen camp, examining the carts and shabby tents, the entire lives of these refugees packed together as they ran towards safety. They were filthy and mortal, but armed. A harmless disguise for his enemies to close in around him.

“Please.” Shiro tried to catch the Prince’s attention and found himself staring into the cold, violet eyes that send shivers racing down his spine.

“You’re going to beg me now? It’s too late for that, hunter. You and your people will pay for what you’ve done.”

“They’re innocent! I was the one who led them and I’m the one who attacked your owl. If you’re going to punish anyone, then take me and leave them alone.” It was a desperate gamble, but they’d come so far and he’d promised to protect his people. He couldn’t let them die because of his mistake, not after they’d come so far and survived such hardship. The camp was silent, the others hushed in terror as Shiro stared down the Ice Prince and his pet, willing the frozen creature to show them some small mercy.

The great owl lowered its graceful head, clicking softly against the shell of the Prince’s ear. Then the cold rippled through their camp, and the Prince’s face twisted in an unhappy snarl. The humans were weak, and their weapons flimsy, but  _their hunter_ …

The blockade tightened around his chest, twisting like it wanted to crush bone, and Shiro grit his teeth around a sob, tears prickling at the corner of his vision only to freeze before they could fall.

“Go.”

He barely heard the order as his restraints tightened around his limbs, but suddenly the camp was in a rush, grabbing everything they could to flee.  _No._  They would get lost, Shiro wanted to say, but the effort took more than he had to give. His mouth had gone dry, and the cold stole the air from his lungs. He recognized his pack’s howls, but he had no way of searching for them. They would die out there without a guide. The night made the woods even more treacherous. But the Ice Prince didn’t care. He only had eyes for Shiro, and he would tear him apart.

“Please…” The word cost him too much, a strangled, hopeless thing as frost crept through his veins. He sank slowly, letting sleep claim and those intense violet eyes followed him into the dark.

 

* * *

 

Shiro woke shivering. He’d worn his thickest coat on this expedition, but it felt like a breeze could undo him now. He was curled in on himself, trying to preserve some of his heat while the rest of the world slipped in and out of focus. Chains crisscrossed his body, binding him on his knees. He couldn’t move his arms, could barely lift his head.

He wasn’t alone.

Soft footsteps scuffed across the white marble floor as Shiro shivered, breath misting in gasps as he shook involuntarily, body trying desperately to function in the cold. All he could see was the tops of the immaculate white leather boots with their fur ruffs stopping in front of him.

“I suppose you think you’re noble, sacrificing yourself for your ‘friends.’” A voice said, as cold as the room itself and devoid of emotion. Teeth chattering, Shiro forced himself up higher on his knees, trying to speak without biting his tongue.

“I-it was m-m-my mistake.”

“So you’re the only spy of your group and were using the others as cover? A likely story, but not one I believe. Don’t worry, I’ll have the truth from you. I won’t let you die until you tell me who sent you and what you were doing in my lands.”

“I swear, we w-were just passing through.” Shiro gathered all of his strength, raising his head to meet the Ice Prince’s gaze. A man could lose himself in those eyes, embrace the winter with open arms and let the creeping cold offer its promise of rest. It was a trap, he knew it distantly, but he was too tired to fight and the cold barely even hurt anymore. The Prince only appeared human, but there was a power that spilled through the cracks that gave him away. He was  _too_  perfect to be real, slim and lithe with what little Shiro could see under his furs. He was beautiful in a delicate way that looked almost too fragile to touch, but razor sharp to cut deep if anyone dared try.

“And I don’t believe you.” There wasn’t rage or passion in the Prince’s voice, just a quiet calm that didn’t betray any of his thoughts. “Since you care so much for them, I will make you a deal. Your obedience and your honesty in exchange for their lives. If you are a weapon, then I will use you as such.”

“Where are they?” Shiro asked, struck by a moment’s terror that this had all been for naught. The refugees were traveling with children and the sickly. They wouldn’t survive for long in this prison.

For the first time, something flickered across the Prince’s face. It wasn’t kind. “Nowhere you can reach. They fled the moment they could. You have no one, Hunter.”

Relief was bittersweet, but Shiro reveled in it, clinging to it to stave off the creeping cold. “Are they safe?”

The Prince’s silence was heavy, and there was too much behind those captivating eyes for Shiro to catch. Then he turned to look over his shoulder, gaze distant and empty. Shiro almost didn’t hear his answer. “For now. Whether or not that continues hinges on your cooperation.”

He was going to die here, Shiro realized, with slowly dawning horror. Alone and grovelling at the hands of an immortal but… But it couldn’t be too late now. He couldn’t give up hope. At the very least, no one would feed his pack. Right? “Anything.”

The chains loosened, and Shiro groaned in gratitude, his arms falling limply by his sides. For a hot drink, Shiro would have sold the Prince his soul.

“What did they promise you?” The Prince asked. It sounded softer to Shiro’s ears, made him sigh like the first touch of a warm blanket across his skin.

“Fifteen silver pieces to be paid on arrival.” Shiro said, without a hint of hesitation.

“…What.”

“It was a little short, but it’s enough to get me through most of the cold season. They needed it more.”

Shiro counted down the seconds that filled the spaces between them, and when he stood so still, the Prince looked like he could have been made of ice itself.

“I can offer you treasures beyond any human king.” He said, in that same unnerving voice, and Shiro did not doubt him for a second, but magic had its own set of rules. Shiro knew it always carried a steep price.

“Thank you, Your Highness, but I would rather have my dogs back.”

There was another flicker, a brief moment of confusion written across that perfect face so quick that Shiro wasn’t sure it was real. “Your animals are being held in the kennel. If you are obedient, then I will let you care for them.”

“You brought them?” Shiro’s voice held real surprise, but the Prince just watched him impassively.

“They’re part of your abilities, are they not? I saw you using them as a tool in my woods.”

“I, yes. We’re a team. I’m a hunter, your highness, not a warrior. Those dogs are my friends, we were just trying to look for enough meat and pelts to make it through.” His explanation seemed to fall on deaf years, or maybe the Prince was just guarding his thoughts close. Shiro wished he could tell what the Prince was thinking so he could judge his replies and if his pleas were having any effect.

“And now you are  _my_  hunter. If you were plying your trade in my lands, then it’s only fitting that you use them in my service. If your mistresses try to come for you, then you will help me hunt them down. In exchange, I will reunite you with your animals and allow the rest of your spies to continue their journey untouched. If you cross me, then they all die and you will wish for death.”

“M-mistresses?” The Prince might have ice cubes for brains, but Shiro didn’t argue. If he could make sure his people made it through safely, then he could worry about escape later. “I swear it, your highness. I’m your hunter.”

The Prince swept away, furs trailing behind him as he gestured for Shiro to follow. With a groan of pain as stiff, frozen muscles protested, Shiro creaked to his feet and stumbled after the other man. “My name’s Shiro.” He said, voice rough as he tried to establish some sort of relationship. If he was going to survive this, it would be easier if the Ice Prince saw him as a human instead of some supposed spy. “Takashi Shirogane, but you can call me Shiro. Everyone does.”

Silence answered him and he tried again.

“Do you have a name I could call you?”

“Keith.” There was the slightest pause, a second in which the oceans could fill, and when he turned away, something in Shiro’s chest unwound. “No one calls me that.”

The chains slackened, but it took the hunter too long to pull his way out of them. By the time he was done, the Prince was long gone.

 

* * *

 

Shiro made his way through the cold halls on wobbling legs, clinging to the inside of his cloak with numb fingers. The corridors were long and winding, every inch of the structure built with ice, carved as if by a master sculptor. Great statues and complicated figures decorated the walls and danced along the ground. It was beautiful, but overwhelming, and none of it helped him in the slightest. Just when Shiro thought he would be trapped forever in an endless maze, his path opened into a large circular hall. It was like he stepped into a dream.

The Ice Prince had a magnificent palace, with a ceiling so high Shiro couldn’t see its peak. Carefully crafted window panes cleared the way for the sun’s light but none of its heat. A row of chandeliers crossed the room, each twinkling like it was made of diamonds, while suits of armor carved of ice lined the walls. It seemed like a thousand paths lead to this one room, but Shiro could see a grand staircase on the far end that twisted towards the distant ceiling. In the center of it all was a modest table, with a single lamp, where warm food and drink waited for him. Shiro dove for it like a mad man.

It took him too long to regain his strength, scarfing down a meal that only looked modest at first glance but his plate never seemed to go empty. He lowered his fork only when he couldn’t take another bite, looking around warily. ”Your highness? Keith?”

But not once did Prince Keith reappear. There was no one to stop Shiro from wandering and no one to see him pack away what he could carry of his dinner. The palace was deserted, though Shiro couldn’t say if it ever had more than one occupant. The legends of the Ice Prince were terrifying, and the legends of the Queen before him were even more so. If anyone ever lived here, Shiro assumed they would have simply been flocks of prisoners.

He passed splendid halls and luxurious rooms, each as empty as the last, but it was only when he heard the sound of tapping feet did he break out into a run. The stables were up ahead, and half a dozen dogs were waiting for him.

They tackled him to the floor as soon as they saw him, smothering him in eager tongues and smacking him as hard as they could with their wagging tails. Shiro went down in a heap of dog, laughing and warm for the first time in hours.

“Hey guys! Awwww, it’s okay. I’m fine, let me look at you. Everybody okay?”

Star  _boof’d_  happily, leaping up to knock Shiro back whenever he tried to stand. Finally, he just gave up and settled for giving his pack all the attention he could before they were satisfied enough to let him go. They seemed like they were in one piece, tongues lolling happily and no wounds or tender muscles. The Ice Prince hadn’t hurt them in any way when he brought them here, that was a good sign.

_Keith_ , he reminded himself. The Prince had a name, as strange as it was.

The dogs bounded after him as he wandered through the frozen grounds, chasing each other around the barren trees. It was as empty here as it was inside, the guard towers and walls undefended and a courtyard big enough to house an army filled with nothing but drifts of snow. What kind of army did the Ice Prince need when he could use magic?

Still, it meant there was no one watching. Shiro sneaked a glance over his shoulder back at the windows of the palace, looking for any sign that someone was hidden behind the glass. Nothing moved, the world was silent except for the panting of the dogs as they romped with each other. It was a fool’s chance, but if he stayed here, would he ever be able to convince the Ice Prince to let him live? If he was anything like his mother, Keith was a monster who wore a human face. The Snow Queen had raged against the southern kingdoms, trying to spread everlasting winter across all the lands. She was cruel and vicious, as dead inside as her season. If he didn’t take the chance now, he might not get another one.

Shiro whistled sharply and all the dogs immediately perked to attention. Without another word of command, Shiro plunged through the glistening iced archway and out of the palace grounds. If he could make it back through the forests before Keith realized, he might just be able to lose him.

He skidded to a stop just a few steps from the arch. There was no forest, no dark line of trees. A frozen waste stretched out before him in every direction, a barren tundra of blowing snow. Far in the distance was a line of snowcapped mountains that seemed to reach up to the bright blue sky Shiro had ever seen.

Horror stole his breath away, and panic slowly crept into his periphery. It couldn’t all be like this. Winter couldn’t last forever. The Prince couldn’t keep him here… Right? He shook himself, forced air into his lungs in a bid to drive away his fear. He survived living on the land for years. It was his life and his love, the trade passed down through generations in his family. He wasn’t going to stop here. Star nipped at his heels, eager to get going. This time, Shiro didn’t stop.

He ran as far as his legs would carry him, his pack racing by his side. When his muscles burned, he walked, and when they shook, he crawled. He fought on until he could go no further, driving himself to the point of exhaustion, and still, Shiro saw nothing but ice and snow. Not a twig of holly, nor a skittering mouse. Winter had choked the life out of everything in its domain, and Shiro feared he would be next.

He let out a choked sob, huddling in on himself to try and regain his barrings as a gust of wind cut through his jacket. His pack was alert before he was, bogged down by exhaustion, but nowhere near ready to give up. Their growls sent tremors through the still air.

“Are you finished?”

Shiro froze. The Prince sounded callous, appearing out of thin air with an unreadable stare. Shiro flinched anyway, too tired to even back away, as his dogs surrounded him, trying to ward off the stranger that had caused them so much grief. Keith didn’t appear to notice them.

“We’re going back now.”

Shiro shook his head mutely, hands balling into fists at his side. He didn’t have a choice like this, none with any good options. All that mattered was living to fight another day. He just had to keeping going… Then everything happened too quickly for him to stop. Keith took a step closer, and Star lunged, angry and defensive. She attacked the Prince, sinking her teeth into his arm. The change was instantaneous.

“NO!” Shiro rushed forward just as Keith took an unsteady step back, but it was already too late. Frost tore through Star’s body, freezing the blood in her veins and stopping her heart. She was gone before Shiro could reach her.

Horror choked his throat, leaving Shiro mute in shock. He whispered her name once, twice, refusing to face that she was gone even if the truth stared him down. The others clambered around them, but a shift in tension had broken apart their ranks.

“I-”

“Don’t touch her!” Shiro cried out, too stunned to be horrified by his outburst. “Don’t touch her.”

But when the Prince took his place by his side, Shiro didn’t protest. He draped his cloak over Shiro’s shoulders, shielding him from the wind.

“You pledged yourself as my hunter.” Keith said, and Shiro hid his face against his side, rich silk brushing against his cheek, quietly accepting the reprimand as his heart lay in pieces.

“I’ll do better, Your Highness.” His voice only broke once.

Shiro buried his face in Star’s flank, biting back a sob as the last of her warmth slipped away. Keith let him mourn, unsure of what to do before finally drawing his hunter back to his feet. “Don’t try to run again.”

“I won’t, I’m sorry.” Shiro whispered as the other dogs pressed in close around him, confused and afraid without their pack leader to guide them. A gust of wind whirled around them in a flurry of snow, swallowing the pack and the two men and transporting them back to the icy prison. It was an easy show of power, but the message was clear. There would be no escape, there was nowhere to run that the Prince couldn’t find him in this wasteland.

And all it would take was a touch to kill him too.


	3. Chapter 3

There was noise in the palace. Chaos. Keith didn’t know how to deal with either. The invisible spell-servants weren’t sentient, just ghostly hands that did his bidding and took care of the grounds in his absence. Even the owl slept on its perch most of the time, keeping its own silent counsel. This was  _life_  infecting his cold, perfect sanctuary and Keith didn’t understand any of it.

The spy had survived the little escape attempt, though not all of his pack at been so lucky. Keith felt a twinge of something, a dull and distant ache at the thought and rubbed one gloved hand across his chest. It had been an accident, the dog had bitten him before he could stop it and he hadn’t meant for it to die. But now he felt…uncomfortable, and the root of it all was the human who was fast asleep in his bed.

Keith stalked over to a tall mirror, larger than himself. It was an ancient thing, decorated with scenes of creatures fleeing the winter snow, and the glass showed so much more than just a simple reflection. “I want to see Shiro.” The prince ordered and its surface rippled like water, reforming to be an image of the human curled beneath the furs of Keith’s bed, his dogs huddled in around him.

It hadn’t been the ideal place to put him, but Shiro had been so cold and Keith couldn’t think of a safer option. Shiro hadn’t even argued as the spell-servants tucked him in, his dogs jumping up to press in tight around him.

He’d been sleeping ever since.

Shiro had been distraught when his dog died. Keith had never really had a way to appreciate that word before, but now he did. It had left the spy impassive and docile, and Keith hadn’t realized how much of a change that was until it had happened. The human was so vibrant. Now he clung to his animals like he was afraid they would disappear, even in sleep. Shiro and his kind shouldn’t have been of any use to him, yet Keith couldn’t look away.

The Prince did not understand humans, they’d rarely ventured far into his realm. Something twisted in the back of his mind as he wondered if the hunter was supposed to sleep this much. They seemed like such fragile creatures, Shiro had barely made it past his front lawn before succumbing. On his own, he couldn’t have been a threat, and it wasn’t the human he feared but the one who gave him orders.

A gentle weight settled over his shoulders, though not even the air stirred as the great owl landed. His mother’s former guard, it seemed more spirit than beast on some days. It spoke in soft clicks that no one else ever heard.

_Make it speak._

“It will already tell me everything I need to know.” It. Shiro. The name dogged Keith, and he frowned, trying to put him out of his mind.  _It_.

 _Make it speak._  More forceful now, the great owl was as unsatisfied as its master.

“I will once it rests.” Keith dismissed the owl who ruffled its feathers irritably and settled back on its perch to watch disapprovingly as the Prince gazed into the mirror. He dragged his gloved fingers across the surface like he could touch the image of the sleeping man, finger catching on the tiny missing chip in the glass. The hunter was a threat no matter what promises he gave, he already proved that he couldn’t be trusted. Still, it was better to use the tool than to break it.

And Shiro looked so harmless while he slept.

“Tell the servants to prepare dinner. A feast in the dining room.”

The owl flapped its wings with a throaty hoot of disapproval, but Keith silenced it with a wave of his hand.

“Go.” Keith turned his back on the mirror, staring down his owl before striding down the quiet hallways. His orders would be obeyed, they always were, though it was unusual the owl would voice any kind of disapproval. It had been his mother’s favorite pet, but it had never questioned him so directly before.

He slammed the door to the bedroom open with a bang as Shiro yelped, almost tumbling off the bed in a pile of dogs. “I am going to feed you.”

“W-what?!”

Keith quieted, trying to figure out which part Shiro didn’t understand as the human slowly drew his blanket to his chest. Already one of his animals was licking his cheek. Keith wondered if it was some form of secret communication

“I’m not hungry,” Shiro tried again, his voice rougher than Keith remembered, but his belly let out a loud rumble. It seemed to embarrass Shiro. He hesitated, but Keith wouldn’t look away until he pulled himself out of bed. One look at his shabby coat had the Prince turning his nose up in distaste. Such a shoddy piece of armor was embarrassing to someone in his service. Before the hunter could catch his bearings, a large cabinet opened from the far wall, pulling open a selection of fine furs.

“Clothe yourself for someone befitting your position.” Keith ordered.

Shiro froze.

The Prince remained unfazed, oblivious to the strange expression that flitted across the human’s face, but something pinched Shiro’s voice. “Are you just going to stand there?”

Keith wasn’t sure how to reply to that. He didn’t think he had anywhere else to go, but with an imperial sweep of his cloak, he turned to go and tried not to think about the knot that settled in the center of his chest. By the time he’d reached the dining hall, a grand feast had already been prepared. His castle servants were nothing if not thorough. All he had to do was wait. Shiro arrived soon enough, stiff-legged and uncertain, nearly drowning in white fur. He looked good in a polar bear’s pelt. Dignified.

And yet the human seemed less than content.

“Sit.” Keith helpfully ordered Shiro to the table and the hunter carefully perched at the edge of one chair, trying not to stare at the food laid out before them. Magic kept their larder stocked, even when there was no real need for it, and the servants had outdone themselves. Keith felt they were almost reveling in the chance to actually cook again, though that might be giving the spirits too much personality.

There was a long pause.

“You’re supposed to be eating.” He tried again, even more helpfully.

“Why are you doing this?” Shiro tore his eyes away from the food and ignored the painful way his stomach clenched, to stare at the Prince. “You kill my dog and then you make me a feast? I don’t know if this is real or if you’re just trying to poison me. What the hell is your game?”

Well, that wasn’t working. Keith crossed his arms with a frown, trying to understand where he’d gone wrong. He’d giving the creature rest, a warm bed, fine clothes, all the food he could eat. What was its problem?

“There isn’t a game.” He said matter-of-factly. “I just didn’t want you to die.”

“And why not? That’s why you brought me here. You think I’m some kind of spy and you’ll kill me just like you killed Star.”

“That was a regrettable accident.”

“Accident?!”

Keith sighed. “I can see this isn’t working. Perhaps you need more rest to get over this and return to a more functioning state.”

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Shiro all but snarled. “I’m not going to sit around here being some kind of toy for you to use whenever you’d like until you get bored and freeze me to death one day.”

“No, but you are going to be my hunter. You promised me that.” Keith said calmly. “And when you are in better health, you will hunt down those who sent you into my lands in the first place.”

Shiro slammed his fist down on the table in frustration as the dogs gathered close around him, fur bristling angrily as they moved to protect each other. “No one sent me!”

“As you say. Your food is getting cold, I don’t think it’s supposed to do that. If you eat, then I can have the servants draw you a bath afterwards. You would like that, right? It would be a warm one.”

“Are you gonna be there?!” Shiro threw his hands up in frustration that Keith couldn’t reciprocate. Instead, the Prince’s brow furrowed in confusion that felt too honest.

“Why would I?”

Shiro hesitated but he dropped heavily into the seat in front of him, scrubbing his face in his hands once, twice. A long silence stretched between them, but only one of them was disconcerted by it. Then with a tired sigh, he pulled a plate closer. Steel cutlery had been left out, but the metal was only cool to the touch. Shiro ate in silence, accepting the Prince’s courtesy. For the moment, that was enough.

Confusion left Shiro uneasy, but every time he looked up, the Prince watched him with a strange sort of peace and dare he say, satisfaction? The kindness was unfamiliar and contrasted too sharply with everything Keith had done, but it was kindness that was welcome in this harsh land. It was a kindness that made him want to take a risk.

“Do you know where my travelers are?” Shiro asked softly, almost afraid of breaking the strained peace that settled over them. Or at least, it was strained on his end. Keith was unshakeable.

“Yes, I know of everything in my land.”

Shiro hesitated, warring with indecision, but the Prince moved closer, staring him down with those intense dark eyes. “Do you want to see them?”

“When you’re done, come with me and I’ll show you.”

Shiro watched Keith carefully, fear giving way to a wary sort of curiosity, like he was trying to understand how to approach a potentially dangerous creature. The absolute, genuine honesty had thrown him, not at all what he’d expected from the famed Ice Prince. He couldn’t trust, trusting Keith would be like trusting a snow storm not to bury him. But Keith hadn’t been purposely cruel. He’d offered no threats, even when Shiro had tried to run, and hadn’t punished him in any way.

He’d still killed Star though, without even a moment’s hesitation. As curious as he was, Shiro couldn’t forget that sort of casual violence of a creature who could kill without feeling or remorse. 

The hunter stuffed a few rolls into his furred sleeves and pushed his chair back with a scrape against the marble. “Could we go now? It would help to know they’re okay.” He said, trying a new tactic. Any subterfuge went right over Keith’s head who nodded and gestured to Shiro to follow.

Keith led the way without speaking, too used to being alone to know how to fill the silence with words. He could feel Shiro’s eyes on him, more questioning than angry and felt a small sense of right. The hallways whispered as the invisible servants were drawn to the living warmth inside of Shiro. He didn’t seem to notice, but the dogs yipped excitedly at nothing, staying close to their master. Humans put so much stock in trust when obedience would do instead. They were confusing, chaotic, and completely disruptive. No wonder they had sent humans through his lands. What better way to challenge him?

And yet, Keith could almost feel each beat of the human’s heart pulse through the very air. Even the faint heat from his fingertips was enough to make Keith wary. “I hope that this makes up for my mistake.” He said, holding the door open to his study. “I regret the loss of your…dog.”

“She was more than just a dog.” Shiro bristled, and it sent ripples through the air around him that the human couldn’t even notice. The Prince couldn’t take his eyes off of him as he and his pack poured into the room and immediately stopped.

There was a quiet village hut that Shiro always returned to in the summer months that he liked to call home. Keith’s study could fit it three times over. It was like stepping into a fortress. Its vault rose so high it could touch the heavens, made up of dozens of arches that looked like frozen waves, except each ripple and whorl had been artistically carved, creating an order through apparent chaos. Ancient weapons lined the walls, gleaming so brightly they might have just been polished, but they all paled in comparison to the piece that demanded attention. In the center of the room, the Ice Prince’s mirror stood proudly. It seemed to tower over all of them, its aura enough to intimidate those without the gift of sight, and by Shiro’s side, one of his twins whimpered. Barkley had always been the more cautious of the two.

Keith strode through like he hadn’t noticed the shift. “Show me the spies,” he ordered. Shiro puffed out his chest, a protest ready on the tip of his tongue, but the glass was already shifting. He gasped despite himself, leaning forward as moving images of the villagers appeared before him. He did a quick head count, quietly worrying about their numbers, until he was able to account for everyone.

“They’re refugees, not spies.” Shiro corrected. It took him two tries to find his voice, and he was still suffering from too much awe. “And if they continue on this trail, they should reach Abirene in under a week.”

He carefully reached out, gently brushing two fingertips across the icy surface of the mirror like he could reach through the glass and find warm skin beneath. The travelers looked cold and miserable, but they were together and were still heading in the right direction. If being a prisoner would save them, then it was a deal Shiro would make every time.

“Thank you.” He turned to Keith and offered the prince a true smile. “You’ve kept your word, that means a lot to me.”

“Of course I have.” Keith seemed a little surprised at the gratitude, something unnamed flickering across his face. He was…pleased? It was an odd feeling, the distant echo of an emotion lost in ice and muted, but it was there. Something about this human had sparked inside of him, some stolen bit of warmth like he’d plucked the ember from Shiro’s chest and held it close. He wasn’t sure if it was safe, but Keith wanted to know more.

He stepped closer, pleased again that Shiro didn’t pull away even when he reached out his hand to caress gloved fingers down Shiro’s chest as delicately as the human had touched the mirror. He noticed Shiro’s eyes were squeezed closed and leaned in close. “Are you afraid?”

“Yes.” Shiro murmured, breathing misting between his lips at the sudden cold. “Are you going to kill me?”

“No. You’re mine now, I’m not going to hurt you. I will be more careful. I’ve just never kept a human before, I’m not sure what you need.” The Prince said thoughtfully. “I want you to teach me.”

“T-teach?” The human’s heart fluttered frantically, like a bird caught in a cage, and it pulsed heat through him with every beat. It was too faint to hurt him, so terribly vulnerable, but Keith found himself curious like he hadn’t been in a long time. He rested his hand flat on Shiro’s chest. The hunter let out the softest noise.

Keith wasn’t sure if he was satisfied, but he turned away, marching towards the exit, certain he would be followed. Shiro was a step behind, but he didn’t disappoint.

“You will list everything a human needs to survive, and it will be provided. Is that understood?”

“I, yes- but where are we going?” The tap tap tap of a furry feet followed them, or perhaps Shiro’s mighty hunters were just stalking the warm buns in his sleeve. Keith paid no heed to their audience.

“I’m going to show you the rest of my castle, and then you’ll bathe.”

“I will?”

“Yes.”

And for a while, live reached a sort of balance. Shiro woke every day with the Ice Prince barging into his room, demanding his company and making Shiro tell him tales of the human lands with a rapt sort of fascination. It was unexpected and often times unpredictable. Keith came and went as he pleased, more than once leaving Shiro helplessly lost somewhere in the massive castle and dreading that he’d run into the Prince’s strange pet. Except it wasn’t altogether unpleasant. Shiro and his pack had the run of the castle, though they tended to stick together for the most part. He’d only one misplaced Barkley, and found him fast asleep in the basement, next to a deserted kitchen that left his dogs barking at thin air. The grounds were unguarded, and they were left free to roam, though Shiro bitterly acknowledged that Keith didn’t need prison bars to trap him in his frozen wasteland. Still, it was difficult to be too angry when he was fed and warm, and his dogs were trying to chase snow flurries. If only he knew the effect he was having on the castle’s other occupants.

_It is uncontrolled. It is without merit._

”We have been over this.” The Prince answered calmly, and his overly invested familiar primped its long feathers. “He will serve us when the opportunity presents.”

The owl clacked its beak disapprovingly at how the Prince had addressed his new pet.  _It is dangerous_. He tried to warn, but Keith was being too stubborn to listen.

Keith leaned closer to the window to watch the courtyard below where the hunter chased his dogs, imagining that he could even hear laughter from down below. The sun was bright on the snow, turning everything into crystals that fragmented into a thousand different colors. It was perfect and undisturbed, a masterpiece until Shiro and his pack crashed into things. They had no care for the trampled snowbanks, flopping back into pristine drifts and leaving footprints everywhere. The dogs rolled and tussled, diving into the taller mounds of powdery snow before bursting out with excited barks in a flurry of white.

It was odd, to say the least.

“He is a single human, how dangerous could he be?”

 _It was sent by your enemies. Do not underestimate it_. The owl admonished, but Keith ignored him. Shiro hadn’t turned on him, he hadn’t even tried to escape again. He’d accepted his fate and had provided some interesting company to say the least. Everything he did was a mystery and Keith often found himself stumbling to answer the human’s eager questions or to even catch up with his seemingly boundless energy.

“I have things under control.” The prince murmured. ‘You worry too much. I understand the threat, but I am not going to throw away this opportunity. There is a lot to learn from Shiro.”

The owl bristled at the name, giving a low throaty hoot.  _Do not name it. It is not for keeping_.

“ _It_  is going to stay until I say otherwise, is that clear?” Keith said, giving the owl a long stare until the bird hunched on its perch and Keith could go back to watching the hunter through the window. “I am going to join him, I want a better look at what he’s doing. You will stay here.”

The owl let out a doleful hoot, letting Keith know what he thought of that idea, but he didn’t stop him as Keith walked away. For a moment there, Keith wondered if this would be the moment they found out which one of them truly held the heart of the ice castle. Yet there was more waiting for him on the castle grounds. He heard Shiro’s laughter long before he made it outside.

“What’s going on here?”

Poof.

It was soft and swift, and Keith wiped the ice out of his eyes in stunned fascination. Something small and round had been lobbed at his head with expert aim, a harmless ball of snow.

“Keith?” Shiro’s voice was small, hesitant. It was not unlike the bark that came from the vicinity of Keith’s knees, and he looked down to find one of Shiro’s animals staring up at him with big brown eyes, its tail wagging in earnest as it butted his head against his leg.

They would all pay.

The Prince roared, dragging a mound of snow up from the ground and drowning the pooch. It yelped as it was buried, only to burst through not seconds later, barking like it was laughing and nipping harmlessly at Keith’s cloak. The other dogs took that as a cue to chase after him, rolling over each other and lunging after wave after wave of snow swallowed them down. They were relentless, chasing Keith as much as they chased each other, and it was the strangest battle Keith had ever taken part of. There were no sides, no feuds, no hostility.

Until another one of those snowballs flew through the air and caught him across the cheek. Across the yard, grinning from ear to ear, the hunter looked far too smug about his triumph.

Keith’s stomach dropped. There was only one answer, and that answer was battle.

What he lacked in passion, Keith made up for in skill. He never needed a heart to be competitive, though it wasn’t like anyone in his kingdom would dare challenge him. Shiro was different, he was learning that the hunter was different about a great many things. It would be easy to unleash winter’s fury, but this must be some human ritual and he did ask Shiro to teach him. Better to play by the rules.

Keith called power easily, a whirl of wind and cold that gathered the loose drifts of snow across the courtyard. With a flick of his wrist, he formed it into an enormous sphere, easily the size of a man, and dropped it on top of Shiro. The hunter was buried with a faint  _oomf_  of surprise. The dogs yapped excitedly, several of them digging frantically around Shiro while the twins (un)helpfully chased lazily floating snowflakes. Shiro burst out with a gasp, laughing so hard he had to lay back on the mound of snow to catch his breath.

“You’re such a cheater!” He managed to get out, brushing the snow from his clothes and trying to shove off too many dogs licking his face clean.

“I won, wasn’t that the purpose?” Keith asked, not quite understanding what was so funny.

“Yeah, you certainly did.” Shiro wheezed, finally getting up to a sitting position.

“It wasn’t much of a battle if you could be so easily beaten. You should have picked a better strategy.” Keith said loftily, as if giving the hunter a lecture. “There is no point in trying to do anything but win when you’re being challenged, failure is unaccept-”

Keith’s head rocked sideways as a soft snowball clocked him in the temple. He gaped at the hunter’s audacity, but Shiro was laughing again, making blah-blah-blah motions with his hand. “It’s just a snowball fight. Don’t you ever have fun?”

Now Keith eyed Shiro like he was the one who could attack at any minute. “Explain yourself.”

“Fun.” Shiro repeated unhelpfully. “Like… Doing things that don’t really have any reason, but they make you feel good? Fulfilled, happy, like that?”

Keith fixed him with a level stare. Then Shiro was being buried by three feet of snow, and knocked over all over again. Keith waited until the hunter dug himself out, wheezing with effort, to say, “Yes. That did seem quite  _fun_.”

There was a dog chewing on his cloak. Keith let it.

 

* * *

 

Keith couldn’t say he’d determined Shiro’s motivations, but after his time outside, he needed an extra blanket to get warm. He watched as the hunter inched closer to a gentle flame in the corner of the sitting room. The castle didn’t used to have a sitting room, but it provided for its occupants, and the invisible servants seemed eager to please a subject with so many new wants. Shiro hadn’t noticed him, but he huddled around a hot mug, taking careful sips. It was too much for Keith, a riddle he couldn’t immediately solve that left him feeling off. Like someone had moved everything in his home one inch to the right, and he was readjusting.

He would have turned away, except that dog noticed him, the dumb one with big eyes, and it broke away from the group surrounding Shiro to investigate. Shiro noticed too late.

“Boof.” The dog huffed.

The animal was already trying to make a home on Keith’s feet, while the Prince stared, rooted in place.

Slowly, Keith reached down and gingerly patted the dog on the head. Shiro held his breath, but with Keith hands wrapped in leather gloves, the touch was harmless and the dog flopped happily on the ground begging for more. The hunter exhaled softly, trying to put the fear and the sharp spike of grief over Star out of his mind.

“Your dog is very affectionate.” Keith said flatly and won a quiet chuckle from Shiro.

“The twins are my youngest ones, this was their first real hunting trip out with me. They’re still just big puppies. That one’s Barkley.” He said, gesturing with his mug.

“It is a dog.” Keith held Shiro’s eyes like he was daring the hunter to contradict him.

“Yes, but his  _name_  is Barkley. They all have names.”

That didn’t make any sense at all and Keith frowned. “But it’s just a dog, why did you name it?”

“Because they’re all different. They have different personalities, they respond to their names. Your owl must have a name, it’s your pet, right?” He asked and the owl swiveled its head around to glare at Shiro from its perch in the corner.

“It is an owl, so I call it Owl.” Keith felt like he was trying to explain to a simpleton. What was the point of naming something other than what it was? Humans seemed to do so many pointless things, Shiro especially. It was…disconcerting. “And why do you call it Barkley when it makes a boof noise?”

The other twin glanced up, tongue lolling. “No,  _that’s_  Boof.” Boof barked and Keith rubbed a finger against his temple wearily.

“I don’t think you should be allowed to name things. It’s too confusing.”

“C’mon, naming things is important. It makes them special! Like with your owl, we could call it-“ Shiro hummed thoughtfully to himself, taking a long sip from his mug and mulling over the choices. The owl watched him with unblinking yellow eyes, poofed to twice its normal size in irritation. “I’ve got it! It’s ruffles, just look at him.”

Keith didn’t think it was possible but Owl puffed up even larger before spreading its large wings and taking flight with a dangerous shriek. Shiro stared in stunned disbelief, only to turn towards the Prince and grin. Whatever he saw on Keith’s face left him laughing. Keith wasn’t sure he disliked that. It was a nice laugh. Keith didn’t know what to do with that knowledge.

A new silence settled between them, tinged with something sweeter than the peace Keith knew on his own, but it carried a strange sort of weight. That didn’t go away, even when Shiro spoke up.

“Sit with me?” The hunter asked softly. “I can put out the fire.”

“No.” Keith said. “I’m not vulnerable the way you are.”

Keith still gave the fireplace a wary glance, and Shiro snorted under his breath. Then out of the ice, the Prince summoned a throne, a sensible, standard chair that was at complete odds with the regal sculpture that took up most of his ballroom. Shiro was a little surprised. His pack circled him almost immediately, except those who were too lazy to move, left sated and plump after so many nights of good eats.

Shiro’s own chair dragged against the floor as he inched closer, keeping just enough distance to be safe but curiosity pulling him in. Keith knew how he felt. Even at this distance, the heat from the fire cast a sheen across his skin, not too much to melt but an uncomfortable reminder of his limitations. The hunter didn’t need to know about those, not when Keith could see his face by flickering light and wonder what it must feel like to have that fire pulsing in his veins.

It looked like Shiro carried some of that fire of his own, Keith could feel the flush from the human’s skin and the soft breath that warmed the air between them whenever Shiro spoke. “Your dogs aren’t scared of me anymore.”

With a small, pained smile, Shiro reached down to scratch one of the lazy beasts. “Dogs aren’t like humans. They’re quick to forgive any hurt or any loss if they’re offered kindness. They’re simple and happy, they see the world as something to love no matter what.”

“And what about humans?” Keith asked, watching closely as the corners of Shiro’s mouth tightened and his brows furrowed slightly. He had the oddest impulse to brush his fingers through his hunter’s bangs.

“Humans are more complicated.” Shiro sighed. “We remember things longer, we miss things when they’re gone.” He looked up into Keith’s perfect face, cheekbones high against the icy skin, dark eyes catching the firelight like jewels. “You’re not really what I expected you to be.”

“And what did you expect?”

“A monster.”

 _Is that why they sent you?_  Keith almost asked. The question danced on the tip of his tongue, words so real he wasn’t sure he hadn’t already spoken, but he still held them with all his might. He realized then that he didn’t want to hear Shiro’s answer.  
  
There was steel in the human. Whether it was his alone or something that belonged to all those like him, Keith didn’t know, but he’d seen it, first when his captive was on his knees, abandoned by his allies and left for dead but still willing to fight through. He saw it again now, when the hunter lounged in Keith’s finest furs, like a king bathed in gold. Keith didn’t think this hunter could ever be his.  
  
Owl was right. They were dangerous. It would have been better to kill them all before they got the chance to use that steel. Except Shiro turned away first, and Keith felt an ache in his chest, right by his sternum.   
  
“Hey I wanted to show you something.” The hunter offered and he had to shoo away two of his loyal hounds, who chased hands in search of treats. “I thought they were pretty. I figured you could use a little life here.”  
  
But Shiro changed everything.

Keith was on his feet before he knew what he was doing. In Shiro’s hands he carried a sprig of wildflowers, almost as white as Keith’s snow. They were delicate and sweet, petals clumped together where they were still damp. Keith snatched them out of the hunter’s hands with a vicious snarl and threw them into the fireplace.

“Where did you get those?” He turned on Shiro who pulled back in surprise. Whatever was human in the prince’s face had vanished, replace with a cold flurry that sharpened his features. His eyes took on a violet glow, his skin so translucent that Shiro could see the ice blue veins beneath.

“Out in the garden?” Shiro tried to calm the prince, but Keith swept to his feet. The hunter followed behind even as every instinct within him screamed that he should run in the opposite direction. “They’re just flowers, I thought you might like them?”

“So close!” Keith barely heard him, consumed by a cold fury as he stalked up to the tower overlooking his domain. The air was bitter cold as he threw open the windows and peered out over the frozen wastes. The empty tundra was beautiful under the winter sky so clear, every star sparkled like diamonds. Bright streaks of colored lights rolled across the blackness, the northern lights putting on a display for their prince and reflected across the ice covered lands below. All was still and silent, perfect in every detail just as he had created it. Except-

One of the barren trees below had bloomed, flowers white as the snow but living and growing. “You  _dare_?” Keith hissed between too-sharp teeth. “You attack me in my own castle?”

“Keith, what’s going on?” Shiro asked softly and the prince turned, fixing him with those strange, inhuman eyes.

“Did you help her? Did you let her in here?” He’d always known Shiro had been a spy, why did it ache to see the proof? “You gave me your word that you would serve me, we had a deal.”

“I didn’t- I don’t-” His answers weren’t enough for the Prince, and for a moment, terror sank its fangs into Shiro’s throat and stole away his breath. Keith’s rage left the air crackling with power. It pulsed through the castle, leaving the very ground tensed with anticipation, and the room’s only source of heat was quietly snuffed out. Shiro took an unsteady step backwards, his companions offering a wary growl as everything changed. If Keith struck now, it would all be over.

The Prince turned with a blood curdling howl, and the winds rushed to answer him, rising in a crescendo that made the castle windows shake. The sky cracked open with a flash of lightning, bright enough to blot out all the stars in the sky. Another joined it, and another, and another, as storm clouds rolled in. Keith called upon every ounce of magic he possessed. Heavy drops of hail bombarded the ground, joined by flurries so thick, the world was lost in white. Shiro wouldn’t stay for a moment longer.

He turned and fled through the castle, stumbling in his haste, with his pack right behind him. The storm echoed all around him, as haunting as the sounds of shattering ice. He ran until he reached the only shelter he knew. He barricaded himself in Keith’s room, his family pressed in tight around him, and outside, the Ice Prince proved that he was the leader of his domain. Shiro never stood a chance.

 

* * *

 

The storm seemed to last forever. It followed Shiro to rest, and greeted him when he woke. He lost track of time, only distantly relieved that the castle remained standing around their heads. Its magic continued to serve them, but he only ventured out of his room when the winds had finally quieted. There was no one there to greet him.

“Hello?” He called out, but there was no answer. Breakfast was provided, same as always. The invisible servants went about their tasks efficiently, but there was no Keith. Even the dogs felt something had changed and they stayed close to Shiro’s legs, tails tucked down low and quiet as they ate. Shiro filled his pockets with rolls and went to explore, trying to find the Prince and unsure if he really wanted to see him.

He had let down his guard, he shouldn’t have been surprised. The Ice Prince would never be human, he could kill with a single touch and he could control the weather itself to destroy everything around him. Shiro had seen something inside of him, a hint of something almost gentle. A sense of humor, maybe. A kindness. They had played together even if Shiro had been the only one able to laugh and had shared quiet evenings. Shiro had even begun to look forward to their talks, teasing and testing to see exactly what he could draw from the cold, emotionless prince.

But now? He’d thought Keith would have appreciated something as pretty as flowers, he was someone who clearly enjoyed delicate beauty. Shiro had no idea why Keith had reacted the way he had.

The hunter hesitated outside of the doors of Keith’s study, knocking softly before pushing them open. Empty. Wherever the Prince was hiding, it wasn’t here. Shiro turned to go, but a flicker of motion caught his eye and he turned, watching the surface of the mirror ripple like liquid. His reflection shifted and changed, something hidden in the glass and glinting with the light.

“What are you doing here?“

None of Keith’s anger seemed to have held, but Shiro still look a step back when he heard his voice. Keith stood at the entrance of his study, his posture just as rigid as ever, but he kept a hand on the door frame. It took Shiro too long to realize he was using it for support.

Shiro didn’t have an easy answer for him. Every explanation felt overly complicated and not quite right, but the truth made him feel hollow. “I just wanted to see you.”

After everything Keith had put him through, everything he’d done, it felt wrong to be so concerned about the Prince. Shiro just wanted to believe that the person he thought he was getting to know still existed. He hadn’t expected Keith to be so vicious.

“Are you disappointed because your mistress lost?”

Something in his tone made Shiro straighten, his eyes narrowing as a sharp pang of disappointment hit.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He answered flatly, but it felt like a wasted effort. He moved to walk around Keith, even as the pups behind him let out a pitiful whine. The Prince stopped him in his tracks.

“Why did you let her in?” He croaked. “We had a deal, Shiro.”

“And you’re not making any sense. I didn’t betray you, all I did was-, never mind.” It was a lost cause, the Prince would never understand. He was wasting his time trying to see something human in a creature made of ice. He wanted to push passed him, risk Keith’s displeasure to just leave the room, but there was something wrong. The prince’s gloved hand gripped the doorframe as he leaned heavily against it, shoulders slumped and breathing harder than normal.

When Keith’s hand slipped, Shiro was already moving.

He scooped the Prince up into his arms, more surprised by anything that Keith didn’t try to resist. The Prince seemed exhausted, the storm had drained him of all his powers. If Shiro could ever attempt an escape, now would be the time when Keith would be too weak to come after him. If he had enough of a head start, maybe he really could make the mountains before Keith recovered. Shiro banished the thought and carried Keith across the halls of the silent castle to his room, gently tucking the Prince into his own bed.

“Why are you helping me?” Keith asked softly, catching Shiro’s wrist in his hand. Even through the white leather of his glove, Shiro could feel the cold of the Ice Prince’s touch.

“Because you needed help.”

It was a simple answer, but seemed to confuse Keith even more.

Shiro gently pried off Keith’s grip and offered him what he hoped was a smile. Shiro was sure he spent more time asleep than awake over the last few days, but part of him still felt tired, the sort of tired that lingered in his chest and made his ribs feel too hollow. He made to go. Keith didn’t want him to.

“I’m sorry.” The Prince said, honest because he didn’t know how to be anything but. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I didn’t- I can’t lose any more. But I shouldn’t have lost control. You are under my protection. I should never have given you reason to doubt that. I don’t want to hurt you.” He tried to push himself out of bed, but Shiro kept a steady grip on his shoulder, easing him back down. Keith went readily. Shiro hated noticing.

“I don’t understand what you’re doing, or why you’re doing it.” He said, but he couldn’t stop the way his voice softened. “I want to trust you, but you have to tell me everything.”

Keith nodded reluctantly. His expression gave too much away, exhaustion robbing him of his carefully polished armor and leaving behind a tired, lonely fighter who still had too much to answer for. Shiro didn’t want to think about how dark his eyes looked this close. “But not now. After you rest, okay?”

Keith looked like he wanted to protest, but Keith always looked that way. “As you wish.”

He pursed his lips and turned over, burrowing into his sheets with a subtle air of defiance, and Shiro could have laughed. He didn’t think Keith had ever seemed more human than he did in that instant. Shiro turned away, something like a smile trying to tug across lips, and the Prince was fast asleep before he left his room.


	4. Chapter 4

Keith woke up to the smell of dog breath heavy on his face.

He carefully opened his eyes to see Barkley curled up beside him on the sheets. Or maybe it was Boof. He wasn’t convinced that even Shiro could actually tell. The dog felt the movement, tail thumping hard against Keith’s legs over the sheets as he turned away and stretched. “You smell.” He accused.

“It’s a sign of affection.”

Keith started at the voice, scrambling to sit up in his bed and fix Shiro with a cold stare. “What are you doing here and why are there animals in my bed?”

“Because you all but passed out last night and because they wanted to.” The hunter said with a wan smile. “You don’t remember?”

The storm. He’d called a massive snowstorm to blanket his lands to protect them from the creeping menace, but it had drained him. Something so simple in the heart of his domain, and he wasn’t even able to wield that much magic without being knocked flat. It was embarrassing. Keith tugged on the ends of his gloves, making sure that they were fitted snugly. “I remember.” He said shortly. “You’re not worried about your dogs being so close? There could be another accident.”

That was enough to make Shiro hesitate, but he reached out to scratch one of his pups on the head. “I was watching to make sure they don’t get too close. No touching at all, just to be on the safe side. Is it-, can you turn it off if you wanted to?”

“No.”

“That’s a shame. Are you feeling better enough to finally tell me what’s going on?”

Keith wondered how much Shiro already knew. It was unlike his enemies to have sent someone like the hunter, but they proved themselves to be resourceful, and he never would have expected an opponent like Shiro. As he watched, Shiro’s expression fell, and his disappointment carried more weight than Keith expected to bear. Even as Shiro shook his head, Keith rushed forward to explain.

“The Four Kingdoms have always been at war.” There was no recognition on Shiro’s face, but he inched closer, and with him, so did a flood of dogs.

“What is that?” Shiro prompted gently. Barkley (or Boof) gathered around them, resting his paws on Shiro’s leg and demanding attention from whomever looked like they would give it faster. Shiro started scratching his pet’s back, on reflex.

Keith watched them for too long. “The Four Kingdoms. Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn, they’ve been battling for dominion over all for as long as anyone can remember. I never expected them to hit so close, but ever since my mother…” He trailed off, unsure how to continue. He’d never had to explain this before. He was born into a war and the weight of a grand legacy that was countless millennia old. Winter had been one of the most, if not the most powerful Kingdom, and the Ice Queen reigned supreme on her throne. There were times Keith thought of himself as a poor substitute, and it made his hands tremble. “The attacks have become more brutal since I’ve assumed the throne. My aunts are without mercy, and they want what’s left of this land. That’s why they sent you.”

Things clicked into place, realization dawning and Shiro’s eyes widened. “The flowers, that was Spring! That’s why you thought I had turned on you.”

That wasn’t the confession Keith had been expecting. Shiro sounded almost surprised, like he hadn’t known. He must have been a better liar than even Keith had thought, but when the Prince searched the human’s eyes, he didn’t even see a hint of hidden malice. “You can’t expect me to believe that.”

“Then how about you believe that if I wanted to hurt you or if I was working for the Queen of Spring, I would have done something while you were too weak to stand on your own two feet.” Shiro said briskly. “You sort of over did it with the storm, didn’t you?”

Keith didn’t answer, mulling over Shiro’s words like he could find the truth within them. Of course Shiro had to be a spy, he couldn’t accept any other explanation. It was too convenient, he was untrustworthy and yet… Keith reached out like he was mesmerized, tracing his gloved fingers down the side of his hunter’s face. Shiro barely flinched and Keith could feel the heat from his skin burning at the slightest touch. What if he’d been wrong all this time?

“You took care of me.” The Prince murmured, more of an accusation than a fact as if was daring Shiro to deny it.

“I wasn’t going to just leave you there. You needed help so I helped.” Shiro pulled away, letting Keith’s hand flop to the bed. “I just thought you might like the flowers. They, they sort of reminded me of you.”

“Why?” Keith sounded so perplexed that Shiro had to look away, flustered by just one word and too embarrassed to relive the pride he felt when he saw them and thought about how Keith would delight at seeing them, too.

“Nothing. Forget I said anything.” Shiro said, and smiled through the Prince’s suspicions. Too often, it felt like all Keith had for him were suspicions. “Don’t worry about anything right now. Just rest. We’ll be around, and we’ll try to stay quiet.”

“You don’t have to do that.” Keith started. Courtesy always seemed to catch him off-guard, and there was something charming in how unfortunate that was, something that made Shiro want to try harder. Keith had been fighting for so long, all he saw were enemies. Despite how they came together, Shiro didn’t want to be another one. He hoped that meant he didn’t have to sacrifice any of the people he thought he protect.

“The least I can do is try. I know we’re not the quietest guests.” Shiro tried to joke. He got up to leave, bones cracking as he stretched. It had been a long night, but he hadn’t wanted Keith to wake up alone. Barkley seemed to feel the same way. The lazy mutt only hobbled towards Shiro after he was absolutely certain they were going for a walk. It almost looked like the Prince was sad to see them go. Shiro knew he was just kidding himself, but it felt right. “And Keith…? Thanks. For telling me.”

He hesitated by the door as if waiting for Keith to ask him to stay before quietly closing it behind him, leading the dogs down the hall to give the Prince some peace.

This was dangerous, Shiro was playing with inhuman forces he couldn’t hope to understand. Keith wasn’t just a prince, he was a force of nature. He couldn’t let himself forget the way the storm still raged outside, wind howling in a blinding blizzard and so different from the way Keith had slumped in his arms, too exhausted to take another step.

For a moment, Keith’s perfection had cracked, his frozen armor chipped away and revealing only a glimpse of what was hidden beneath. Not a monster but a man, hesitant, confused,  _alone_. How long had he been in this frozen cage, drowning in its oppressive silence with no one to help him as his enemies gathered at the gates? If Shiro didn’t know better, he might have thought Keith had even been afraid.

Shiro was just a hunter, a peasant with no royal blood or magic in his veins. He could track a creature for miles based on the faintest trail, he could survive in the harshest environment. He could set a snare or hit a target with an arrow from a hundred yards, but he was no soldier or warrior with plate mail and skill with a sword. Keith needed an army, all he had was a single man in way over his head.

But he wasn’t going to abandon Keith now, not when there was no one else to help him. Shiro could never say no to anyone in need.

Especially when he couldn’t stop wondering what Keith would look like if he ever smiled.

A shadow moved in the hallway and Shiro stopped dead, heart in his throat. “Hello?”

The owl seemed to melt out from the darkness, enormous yellow eyes watching Shiro unblinkingly as it settled on a window ledge. It was just a bird, Shiro tried to tell himself, but it was difficult to be convinced when the creature followed his every move. There was only one thing on the creature’s mind.

_It will die._

 

* * *

 

Keith recovered quickly, though ever since the day of the attack, he was more preoccupied than ever. He disappeared for long stretches of the day, and Shiro couldn’t tell if it was because the seasons were changing or Keith was just busy in one of the castle’s endless supply of rooms and completely out of sight. Shiro hadn’t realized how lonely it was until he’d lost his only company.

He shouldn’t have been bothered. There were times he spent months in the woods with no one for company but his pack. He was no stranger to isolation, but Keith had been something else. Shiro looked forward to their nights together, their quiet conversations by the fire light, always hoping for a chance at one of the Prince’s not-smiles.

But of all the things he imagined Keith to be doing, this wasn’t one of them.

He came across the Prince purely by accident, on the palace grounds where Shiro liked to walk in the late mornings. Keith was hard at work. And Barkley was with him.

“No. No. Sit still you dog. Barkley.” Keith hissed, shoving a gloved-hand in the overenthusiastic dog’s face, only to have him lick it. Then suddenly, a thin box of ice appeared out of thin air, flattening Barkley to the ground without putting too much weight on him. He whined pitifully, but Keith turned back to his project. Standing in front of him was a statue made entirely out of soft snow, a statue with very distinct markings. A very specific dog. _Star_. 

Keith molded her hind legs, his brows furrowed in concentration. Barkley whined again. Keith went back to working on her shoulders. Barkley whined louder. With a sigh, Keith released him from his prison, and ordered, “But you have to sit still.”

Barkley ignored him completely and tried to tackle him into the snow. It was a wonder Keith finished at all, but in the end, he brushed his creation’s brow and she slowly came to life. The snow dog hobbled on unsteady legs, then she started to run, chasing Barkley around and around. She was an almost perfect replica, and Keith looked on with so much intensity. Hope was the most cruel mistress.

It was a flimsy replica of life, a cheap imitation of what his aunts created so vividly. Already the dog’s steps were uneven, and she couldn’t answer Barkley’s boofs, but he thought she looked happy. He thought she could maybe even make Shiro happy.

It would never work.

They ran and ran, but with one wrong step, she burst into snow. Barkley was delighted, happy to drape himself over Keith in celebration of his victory.

The Ice Prince just sighed, and got ready to try again.

Shiro felt like he was intruding, but his curiosity wouldn’t be denied and he walked closer, making sure to scuff his feet against the frozen flagstones to avoid startling the Prince. He needn’t have bothered, Keith could feel his heat through the very air and turned to meet him as Barkley rushed to greet his master, demanding attention now that his snowy playmate had disappeared.

“I’m sorry for interrupting.”

“It’s fine.” Keith said shortly, wondering how much the human had scene. Cold crept into his cheeks, a strange drop in temperature that left him feeling sick to his stomach. “I was just working on something.”

The hunter hesitated, glancing over at the pile of snow that had only moments ago looked like his lost friend. “You’re trying to bring Star back?”

“Of course not, I can’t bring back the dead.” The prince sniffed dismissively, but another ache echoed through his empty chest like a taut string plucked and vibrating. It rang down to his fingertips and into his teeth, filling the void inside of him with chaos and noise. Keith hated it, but it all went silent when the hunter put a hand to his arm, his body tensed from just the slightest touch and drowning out all other thoughts with just the one:  _Shiro_.

“It looked just like her.” Shiro was smiling even though he looked sad. Keith didn’t know how you could be both at the same time.

“I-, I never meant to hurt her.” Keith rubbed his gloved hands together. “I thought maybe I could make it right again if I-I.”

His words were cut off as Shiro pulled the Prince into his arms, startling Keith into silence. Heat filtered through the fur between them, boiling his blood and making him want things he didn’t have the words to describe. “I wanted to fix it.” Was all he could manage, words lost in Shiro’s shoulder.

“I know. Thank you.”

“B-but I can’t.” Keith pushed back, flushed with a stolen heat that left him feeling lightheaded. “You don’t understand. I’m not strong enough, I can’t create like they can. I used to try when I was younger and alone, but they all fell apart.” 

All those companions, the carefully crafted songbirds made from ice and the lumbering bears of snow. He crafted them all, pouring all his power and years of loneliness into creating something that would stay with him. He had failed then, watching each one come to life only long enough to flutter in his hands or take a few stuttering steps before crumbling.

“But you want to. That makes a lot of difference.” Shiro had never heard Keith like that, catching a glimpse of what rested beneath his stern exterior, but Shiro had long learned that there was more to the Prince than what you could see at first glance. Or second. He had to fight back the urge to reach for Keith again, hands stubbornly tucked into the warm furs of his coat, and Shiro had to wonder when he stopped being afraid of Keith. “And for what it’s worth? You don’t have to be alone anymore. I’m here.”

The Prince looked up, those sharp, knowing eyes fixed on Shiro, and their intensity left Shiro’s pulse racing.

“Well, we’re all here.” The hunter amended hastily, feeling foolish though he couldn’t rightly say why. “But I think Barkley likes you most.”

Barkley looked up when he heard his name, then went back to digging through the snow, chasing a scent neither of them could notice. Keith watched him for a long time, and when he spoke again, there was a deliberate calm in his tone that Shiro couldn’t ignore. “Barkley is a good dog. I like that you’re all here.”

Shiro cleared his throat and looked away to hide the smile that wouldn’t stay off his face. “Hey, if you’re not doing anything, I was thinking you might want to come with me? I figured you’d want to see how humans celebrate winter.”

“You stay indoors and hide for three months.”

“Yeah, okay, but not all the time!”

Keith was unconvinced, but he allowed Shiro to pull him across the courtyard to the small frozen pond, still and clear beneath the barren trees. There were no flowers now, the trees stretching bare limbs up towards the cold blue sky and sleeping, waiting for a spring that would never come. 

“Humans hate the winter, everything does.” Keith said flatly.

“There’s times when it’s hard, but there’s times when it’s beautiful too.” Shiro said, clearing his throat awkwardly and hoping Keith didn’t realize he wasn’t just talking about the season. He let go of the Prince with a laugh, scuffling out across the smooth ice of the pond and gesturing for Keith to join him. “When I was little, I grew up in a village with a river running nearby. Every winter, we used to wait for it to freeze and then go skating.”

“Skating?” Keith carefully stepped on the ice.

“Mmhmm?” Shiro wobbled in a slow circle, trying not to slip “We would wear special shoes with a thin blade on the bottom and slide on the ice. We used to play games and have competitions. Then afterwards when we were all exhausted, we used to have a big bonfire and share food.”

“And your people had fun in the snow?” The Prince wasn’t sure he believed it. Winter was despised, out of all the seasons, his was the one the world dreaded. No one celebrated the coming of the cold and the darkness, and now even the others were trying to creep into his lands while he was weak and steal what was left of the winter for themselves.

“Of course we did!”

The human looked ridiculous, scooting himself across the ice with his arms outstretched for balance. He might have been graceful on the hunt, but he could barely keep himself upright on the ice. Keith decided to help, he was still in a magnanimous mood. With a wave of his hands, water melted and refroze along the bottom of Shiro’s shoes into sharp blades of ice, just like the ones he’d grown up with as a child. Keith wanted to give him a gift that would make him happy.

Shiro fell flat on his face.

“Shiro!”

Keith was by his side in an instant, his chest pounding with force until he was trembling with it, but when he turned around, Shiro was laughing. The hunter rubbed his forehead dolefully and pulled up his trembling knees, but he smiled at Keith with such tenderness that the Prince was struck dumb.

“Warn a guy next time, will you?” He grinned, and got on to his wobbly feet.

“You said you did this as a child.” The Prince’s accusation was as close to scathing as Shiro had ever heard, but he snorted any way, his arms stretched out in either direction and pinwheeling slowly.

“I never said I was good!”

He inched across the ice, trying to find a rhythm that didn’t send him into a ditch. When he looked up, the Prince was circling him on a pair of identical skates. It looked like he’d been circling him for a while now. Shiro groaned. “Oh come on! You’ve never done this before?”

“It’s an inconvenient form of travel… And you are very not good at this.” Keith observed, and it might have been the trick of the light, but for a moment, it looked like he smiled.

“Very funny.” Shiro teased, until Keith held out one of his hands. It was so sudden that all he could do was stare. Then before Keith could change his mind, he took them, and tried to scoot closer. Keith pulled him in with remarkable ease.

“Hold on to me.” He ordered. “So you stop falling over.”

A shiver raced up Shiro’s spine, but it was more than the cold getting to him. His mouth went dry, words stolen from the tip of his tongue before he could even think them through, but Keith nudged him into place until he could wrap his arms around the Prince’s waist from behind. It shouldn’t have worked. Balance should have been impossible. Shiro towered over Keith, his weight pressing down on the other’s slighter figure, and Keith barely moved his legs, but he commanded a supernatural strength that propelled them forward with ease. Shiro gasped. He could feel the chill of Keith’s skin through the layers he wore, but it wasn’t enough to make him pull away. He couldn’t stop himself from leaning just a little closer, pressing his cheek into Keith’s soft dark curls.

They stopped, turning in towards each other with barely enough space for a breath passed between them. It would be so easy to just dip his head, to catch Keith’s lips with his own. If he’d been anyone else.

“What are you doing?” The Prince asked softly as Shiro struggled to find an answer. He didn’t pull away, teasing dangerously until they were right at the edge of disaster. Keith reached up to brush his gloved fingertips against Shiro’s cheek and the hunter closed his eyes, letting Keith explore with an almost mesmerized fascination. Faint goosebumps racing across his skin at the touch, Keith’s fingers so cold even safely within their leather.

Keith dragged his fingertips along Shiro’s jaw and swiping gently across his mouth, inhaling softly when the hunter’s lips parted slightly and wondered what it would be like to taste him. Would he melt? Would it burn? Was there any way to get closer to this heart without destroying them both?

“I wish.” The Prince started, unable to finish. Keith wasn’t exactly sure what it was he wanted, just that it was more. He wanted to run his bare hands through Shiro’s black hair and feel the way it spilled against him. He wanted to feel Shiro’s breath hot on his neck, the way his hands could settle around his waist. He wanted to steal Shiro’s warmth for himself, let it fill the hole inside of him until he could feel it all, not just cold, distant memories of what he used to be. He’d been alone for so long that Keith couldn’t even remember what it was like to have someone touch him and his body prickled with an icy need.

Keith was the Ice Prince, the child of his mother, the immortal ruler of the season. But for the first time in his life, he wondered about the part of himself that was human. Or if there was anything left that was.

“We can’t.” Shiro murmured, though it sounded more like a question than anything, an unspoken hope that there might be a way.

“I don’t want to hurt you. I never would.” The Prince promised, making vows he wasn’t sure he could keep.

“Keith,” The way Shiro said his name was almost like a prayer, a quiet sigh of frustration and fondness that pulled a strange quirk at the corner of Keith’s mouth.

Shiro’s feet slid out from under him and the moment shattered with a yelp of surprise as they both hit the ice with a thud. Keith was on his feet in an instant, but the hunter lay on his back on the ice, laughing so loudly, tears froze on his lashes.

On the edge of the pond, his ever-present chaperones were barking, and they didn’t stop even after Shiro pulled himself upright. “I’m going to be so sore,” he said, hands out warily as he tried to make his way off the ice. Keith wouldn’t let him get that far.

“That’s enough for today. I think it’s time to go home.” He said, in the tone of a man who was used to never being contradicted. That was fine. Shiro wasn’t going to fight him on this.

Shiro may be should have reconsidered that. 

With no warning, the Ice Prince scooped Shiro into his arms, cradling him against his chest like he weighed nothing. Shiro _yelped._ All he could do was hold on as he was carried away, with his pack followed at Keith’s heels. They were halfway to the castle before he relaxed, sinking into Keith’s grasp like he still couldn’t believe what was happening. He was the perfect angle to rest his head against Keith’s shoulder, his face tucked into the fur collar around his neck, but even the chill couldn’t beat back the warmth that pinked his cheeks.

“Could you always do that?” 

“Yes. But now seemed most appropriate.”

Shiro laughed, and draped his arms around Keith’s shoulders, settling in for the rest of the trip. He was starting to realize that he’d been swept off his feet a long time ago.

It took Keith a long time to put him down.

To his surprise, Shiro was lead to the Prince’s study, where a warm mug of soup and freshly baked bread was waiting for him. Shiro fell on the offering with a gusto, unaware of how hungry he’d been until that moment. Even though he still limited his visits to the Prince’s most private room, somewhere along the line, the Ice Castle had ceased to intimidate him.

Shiro only glanced at the enchanted mirror once.

“I wish to show you something,” Keith said, while Shiro was still getting crumbs on his shirt. “The reason I needed a hunter.”

“Not just because you thought I was a spy?” Shiro couldn’t help but ask, but Keith didn’t react at all. Instead, the Ice Prince walked regally over to the magic mirror, touching his fingers to its surface. The glass rippled and Shiro set his bowl down, leaning closer to get a better look. He could swear there was something inside the mirror, some spark of light that didn’t belong. It flared for just a moment before disappearing so quickly, Shiro thought he must have imagined it.

“This was my mother’s mirror, she pulled her power from it.” Frost crawled across the glass in spiraling fractals. The glass turned white, the tiny missing ship standing out in stark contrast. “She broke off a piece to poison a human once and it eventually destroyed her. I’m not-, I’m not as powerful as she was and her sisters, my aunts, keep trying to take more and more of my kingdom for themselves.”

“Like the spring flowers.” Shiro said gently, pulling himself to his feet and reaching out to Keith who let the hunter wrap his arms around his waist.

“Exactly, and Spring isn’t the only one. They’re all trying to destroy me and without my missing piece, I’m not strong enough to stop them.”

“You want me to find a tiny chip of glass?” Shiro knew he was a skilled tracker, but there was no way he could find a single shard that had been missing for years. “I don’t think that’s possible!”

“It has to be, I need you to help me. If you can’t find it, then I don’t know how much longer I can hold the other seasons back.” Keith turned in his arms, looking up at him with those captivating violet eyes that always seemed to pierce straight through him. “I need your help, Shiro.”

It couldn’t be done. It was a fool’s errand. So much depended on this. Shiro didn’t want to be the one to let Keith down, and there might have been smarter strategies to try. What could one mortal find that the Ice Prince in his own domain couldn’t? 

But Keith needed him.

“I’ll do everything in my power to help you.” Shiro conceded softly. It was the least he could do. He just needed a place to start, and from there, he hoped he could get far enough to make a difference. Keith was as coolly collected as ever, but Shiro imagined he saw a smile flicker across his features, even if only for an instant. He thought he did good. He wanted to believe he could make a difference.

Then they had bigger problems to worry about.

The Ice Queen’s mirror came to life, a rare enough occurrence that Keith gasped as he broke from Shiro’s grasp, turning to examine the artifact. Colors swam across the glass, before settling with crisp clarity. Though they saw the saw image, they were both stunned silent for very different reasons. Shiro saw the men and women of his travelling party, still struggling on a journey that should have been over days ago. Their numbers had been cut down greatly, and he feared that the absent wouldn’t ever be catching up. Keith didn’t care. What terrified him was that they were still in his territory, deep inside the border that separated the woods from the rest of the world, but the forest floor was covered in lush greenery that had no place anywhere so late in the year.

“ _No_.”

“Keith what?”

But the Prince had dismissed the image on the mirror, and instead replaced it with the clear, day sky. Shiro saw nothing out of the ordinary, but the Prince’s gaze was distant and unfocused. There was a cruelty in the hard line of his mouth that almost made Shiro flinch.

“Keith, what’s going on?”

In the mirror, the sky stated to darken.

The Prince didn’t answer, lost in his own power as he reached into the icy depth inside of himself and set his magic loose on the world. The forest in the glass swayed as the wind picked up, the refugees huddling against the sudden chill that swept through their ragged camp. The spring flowers around them withered and froze, firelight and lanterns sputtering out in the rising gale and plunging the travelers into darkness. The castle was deadly silent, but Shiro could see them screaming through the glass.

“You have to stop!” He pleaded, but the Prince turned to him with sightless white eyes, cold seeping through his skin to steal the heat from the air until Shiro’s breath began to mist. The chill settled deep into Shiro’s bones with an ache, but he gripped Keith by the arms, digging his fingers through the pure white fur the prince draped across his shoulders and shook him hard. “KEITH!”

Color flooded back into Keith’s eyes as they met Shiro’s without emotion and the hunter was reminded at how terrifyingly inhuman the prince truly was. “Spring is invading.” Keith said calmly, pulling himself from Shiro’s hands. “I am ending it.”

“But there’s people there! If you don’t stop, they’re going to  _die_.” Shiro pleaded, but Keith remained unmoved.

“I told them to leave my lands, they’re irrelevant.”

Shiro clenched his hands into fists, squaring his shoulders. These were his neighbors and his friends, they were his responsibility. He’d been so distracted by Keith and the magics of this place that he’d forgotten his duty to them. It was his fault they’d wandered here and without him, they’d lost their way. “I have to help them. You promised me they’d be safe.”

The Prince’s silence was the most devastating answer. He would not look away from Shiro, but power coursed between them, a constant reminder of the divide between them. Shiro had been so foolish to overlook it, even for a second. “You would betray me?”

“I’m not betraying you.” Shiro said, refusing to give up ground, even in a fight he could never win. His voice still trembled as frost crept across the Prince’s eyes, bleeding into his pupils, and he remembered his fear. “But I will not sacrifice them for you.”

“You’re going to abandon me.”

“No, Keith! That’s not what this is, but they’re going to die out there without me!”

Shiro willed him to believe, poured everything he could into one desperate plea, but his heart beat was the loudest thing in the room, and in that moment, the friend he knew looked more ice than man. The hunter trembled in place, a plan only half formed, but he’d been caught off-guard. He never expected the tragedy that loomed over him, and it threatened to overwhelm him. “Three days,” he guessed. “All they need is three days to reach Abirene. Please Keith.”

But there was no answer, and Shiro could not waste any more time. He rushed to the door, footsteps echoing through the walls.

“I could make you stay.” Keith whispered, so faintly Shiro almost missed it. He stopped in the doorway, looking over his shoulder.

“You could. But I would never forgive you.” Shiro’s expression crumbled, but if this was going to be goodbye, he was going in memory of what they could have had. “I don’t think you will. I think there’s more to you then you believe. You’re not as cold as you think you are.”

He gave Keith another chance, he always did, holding his breath with his heart in his hands, but the Prince had gone back to his mirror. It shouldn’t have hurt as much as it did, Shiro told himself. He was wrong. Falling out of love was never easy.

He summoned his dogs, and even after so long off-duty, they sprang at his call. A plan was forming in his mind. They’d have to find a sled somehow, or build a makeshift one. It wouldn’t be the first time. They were short one runner, but… But they would have to make do. Leaving was too big an obstacle for Shiro to focus on anything else. He wasn’t prepared to be stopped at the gate of the castle. 

Keith was waiting for them.

“This is a mistake.” He said as Shiro decidedly ignored him. “Was this all a trick to distract me while your mistress stole pieces of my kingdom?”

“You’re the one who kidnapped me, remember?” Shiro finally snapped. He had really believed they’d made progress, maybe he was just trying to convince himself that there was something human inside the Ice Prince. Had he let the isolation muddle his emotions, looking for signs that weren’t there? That Keith would never be capable of? Was he just a prisoner falling for any sliver of kindness his jailer had offered him? “Taking me was your idea. If you still think I’m a spy after everything, then fine. But I’m going to save my people, so either help me, or get out of the way.”

There was a pause that held too much. Then Keith stepped aside, ice shaping itself like it was alive into a sleep, lightweight sled. For a moment, Shiro’s heart soared. “Take this. It’ll only go as far as the snow line, but it will get you there faster.”

“Thank you.” Shiro murmured, torn and unable to find the words. Keith could dismiss human lives with complete emotionless disdain, but somewhere within his frozen shell, he was still capable of kindness. It was a start. Maybe it could be everything. Shiro went to work leashing the dogs in their places, each so excited they could barely stay still long enough for him to fit them into their harnesses. He paused, ready to step onto the sled and whistle out a command to send them flying across the wasteland towards freedom and home.

With a start, Shiro realized he really could escape. Keith had revealed his weakness and with the powers of winter waning, he’d be free if he could just cross the line back into the southern lands. He wouldn’t be a prisoner anymore.

“Three days.” Keith said flatly, a promise Shiro knew he didn’t have to keep, but Shiro agreed all the same. They left in a blur of snow.

Another pair of unblinking eyes watched him as he sped away, and if he’d been capable of it, the great owl would have smiled.

 

* * *

  
  
Shiro could have been flying. The sled was like nothing he’d ever managed, as light over the snow as a feather in the wind but as agile as a wolf on the hunt. His pack was tireless. They’d stumbled the first mile in their attempts to fill the void Star had left but they’d been a team almost since they were born, and when Shiro bid them faster, they soared.  
  
The refugees could have never been prepared. As the trees gave way, they screamed.  
  
The sled burst through the trees like a spectre and for a moment, all they could feel was fear. Shiro no longer looked human. Hours on the road yet he seemed to float above them all, draped in furs fit for a god and commanding a sled of ice. Then compassion softened his features as he took in the extent of their ordeal.   
  
Their numbers had dwindled, lost to the forest’s cruelty and Shiro could name every missing face.   
  
“The- the- He took you,” the Village Elder rasped, barely keeping back her horror. For the first time since he met her, Shiro thought she looked defeated.   
  
“Yes… But we’re going home now.”  
  
On the first day, Shiro took what he could carry on his sleigh. The snowline melted away, and when his sled could go no further, he carried what he could on his back. On the second day, they lost two more in the cold night, and Shiro helped the able-bodied carry the young and feeble, leaving more and more of their meager supplies in an attempt to gain speed. They left the dead where they lay. They weren’t making good time. They walked deep into the night, and greeted the third day before the sun could rise, and Shiro turned to the sky with tears in his eyes. They’d been close. They’d been so so close.  
  
But the storm never came. It didn’t come on the fourth either, but on the fifth day, when the outer wall of Abirene came into view, the first flurries started to fall and Shiro laughed so hard he lost his breath.  
  
They wheeled their wagons into the city center, the kingdom’s guards fussing about to bring them in from the storm.  
  
“Shiro, hurry! It’s coming in fast!”  
  
The kind-hearted opened their homes and shared their supplies. Winter was always difficult to manage, but cruelty was still unwelcome in the kingdom. There was a warm bed and hearty meal waiting for Shiro, everyone too ready to call him a hero. The refugees had given him everything they could afford, and their trust and their hope. Shiro would miss them. He just couldn’t stay. He looked at his pack, exhausted and overworked, but he knew what he had to do.  
  
“Not yet. There’s someone who needs me.”  
  
That day, Shiro became a legend. The kind Hunter who came from the snow to save them walked into a blizzard with his dogs at his heels. None of them were ever seen again by the survivors they rescued, but those who witnessed his final trek would swear they saw someone waiting for him in the storm, and when Shiro met them, they welcomed him with open arms.


	5. Chapter 5

There had been peace in the castle. After Shiro fled, and the dust settled, silence returned to reign supreme. Once again, it was quiet enough to hear the snow fall and the ice crackle with the rising sun.

Keith hated it.

But that was wrong. The Ice Prince could not hate, just as surely as he was incapable of love. Yet something settled low in his belly, a constant presence that faded but never disappeared, and every time he turned a corner to find it empty, or looked up to find no one there, it twisted, leaving him speechless and uneasy.

Keith refused to seek out Shiro. He told himself the human was of no consequence to him. Three days was a courtesy he paid to a one-time ally, and even then, there was nothing truly stopping him from sending his storm. Spring was an insidious enemy. Her roots would dig deep into his kingdom long before she mounted her attack, almost guaranteeing that any battle would end in her favor. Keith had survived for so long by making sure she never got that far. The sooner he retaliated, the better.

He resisted temptation for all of one day, and from that moment on, couldn’t tear his eyes away from the Hunter.

The refugees that Shiro traveled with weren’t his family, nor did he appear indebted to them, yet every day, he fought to push them further and further, like he would drag them all to safety with his bare hands. He wept for their fallen and cheered the survivors, and when Keith saw him cry, that feeling in his belly got a thousand times worse.

The Prince gave him three days.

Keith had lied.

Now Shiro was tucked against him, folded against his side while his pack curled around them in a fluffy circle, beaten by their own fatigue. Keith had pushed the edges of the snow line to its very limits to reach him, and Shiro had greeted him in the middle of the storm. Together, they flew through the skies on a sleigh of ice and snow.

Every time Shiro moved, his hair tickled Keith’s cheek, and the strands were tipped with frost because of it. For some reason, Keith’s arm had found a way around his shoulders, keeping him in place. He just hadn’t found a reason to take it back yet.

“Where’we?” Shiro grunted sleepily, trying to hide his nose in the soft fur at Keith’s collar, and the Prince silently fretted. He was covered from head to toe and for the first time in his long existence, he worried if that would be enough. Shiro wasn’t as warm as he remembered.

“Go back to sleep. We’re almost home.”

Shiro shifted, eyes still glued shut with sleep, and Barkley (one of the Barkleys? Boof?) moved with him, to drool on Keith’s leg. Then Shiro smiled at him, and Keith couldn’t find it in himself to care. “You came for me.”

“Of course, I did. How did you expect to return without my help?”

Shiro laughed. It sounded nice. Keith wanted to hear it again.

“I knew it.” Shiro said, more to himself than to Keith. There was something alive inside of the Prince, a spark of something that Shiro could coax brighter like a flickering flame in a snowstorm. Keith wasn’t a monster, there was a kindness in him that no amount of ice could destroy. It was something Shiro knew he could love. “I won’t be your prisoner again.”

“Hm?” Keith rearranged the fur blankets higher around the hunter and his pets to keep out the wind as they raced through the snow.

“I’m not your prisoner, I need you to understand that.” Shiro traced his own thick leather glove down the side of Keith’s perfect jaw, mirroring the Prince’s gentle touch. He wished they could have more, the feel of skin against skin, the press of his lips against Keith’s mouth, swallowing down each quiet gasp. Even the smallest touch would kill him, but it didn’t stop him from wanting so intensely that his breath caught in his chest.

The way he touched Keith left the Prince struggling to find his voice, but it couldn’t stifle the truth.

“I don’t want you to leave.” It was a vulnerable admission, one Keith had never dreamed of making. Shiro was only supposed to be a tool, a means to an end. A way to use his aunts’ spy against them to find the missing piece of his power and take them all down. That was what Owl had always insisted on, but now, with Shiro leaning heavily against him and smiling with that lazy grin, Keith felt almost satisfied. More than that, Keith  _felt_  something that wasn’t the emptiness behind his ribs.

“I won’t leave. I’m going to help you, but as a friend, not a captive.”

“You’re not my captive.” Though Keith wasn’t sure he really understood what ‘friend’ meant well enough to promise that. Something uncomfortable filled him, a creeping bit of doubt from the hole where his heart used to be. “You’ll stay because you help people who need help.” It was what Shiro did, just like rushing back to save the refugees. He was a leader, taking charge help. He would do the same for anyone.

“I’ll stay because I want to stay with you, Keith.”

_THA-DUD._

The hollow space in Keith’s chest echoed with the sound, so hard his teeth rattled, but when he stroked his palm down Shiro’s cheek, his hunter went willingly. Shiro was pliant and easy and so susceptible to his touch that a cold chill ghosted up the back of Keith’s neck and tinged his ears blue. This was dangerous. Even through his layers, he knew he was stealing Shiro’s warmth, and he promised that he would never hurt him, but Keith didn’t want to pull away. He wanted closer. He wanted more. He wanted to feel Shiro’s hair through his fingers, to taste the sweet swell of his lips and drink down everything he had to offer. He wanted to be the one to make Shiro laugh, and to steal the sound away so only he could hear it.

Maybe he could do something about that.

“Let me show you something,” he whispered, as his thumb traced the curve of Shiro’s mouth. He didn’t expect the human to turn into it, to kiss his palm, then the inside of his wrist, sighing so sweetly in his exhaustion.

“Do I have to move?”

“No. I’m the one driving.” Keith said, turning up his nose with a scoff. “Just hold on.”

Shiro took his words to heart, and wrapped his arms around Keith’s middle. Keith wanted to point out that it wouldn’t help Shiro keep his balance as they picked up speed, but… he also didn’t want to. Shiro might move away.

They shifted course. Keith made sure not to go far. His hunter needed his rest, but he’d never wanted to share his kingdom so much before. Shiro was the first one he thought would appreciate it. Together they rode into his storm, tucked away safely behind Keith’s shields of snow and ice, but even the flurries closest to them seemed to slow. Overhead, the sky rumbled with thunder as cotton-soft clouds turned grey with the weight of their burdens, and Shiro gasped.

“I want you to cherish Winter, too.”

Giant flakes of snow began to fall, soft and lazy, catching in the fur of their blanket. Shiro reached up to the sky, catching the flakes on his gloves. Below them, the world was covered in white, perfect like it was carved out of glass. No, not perfect. Animal trails crisscrossed the snow and Shiro saw a herd of reindeer calmly traveling over the tundra. A hare burst from its hiding place to dive into its burrow, chased by a white fox that lost its prize. Pine forests rustled with hidden creatures, the snow catching in their boughs and the wind sighed, playfully spiraling the snow into deep drifts. There was life in this world, hidden and sleepy, but thriving.

“It’s beautiful.” Shiro murmured, looking at Keith.

“Watch this.” The Prince waved his hands, rolling the clouds back with a sweep of power. Overhead, the sky was a crystal clear and Shiro had never seen so many stars before. They spilled across the jet black night before being swallowed as the sky erupted into light. Greens and reds burned through the darkness, casting shimmering auras reflected on the snow below until the entire world was awash in light and color.

“How are you doing this?” He asked with wonder in his voice and Keith felt that same wordless sense of satisfaction settle inside of him.

“It’s not just storms.” Keith said, looking up at the sky. “There’s supposed to be more to it than that, but people are always so afraid. It’s dark and cold and they hate it. They hate everything I am and I don’t want you to hate me too.”

Shiro was silent for a moment before pulling Keith close, settling his arms around the prince in a gesture too daring and too familiar. “Winter can be hard, especially for those who struggle to get by, but it’s also the time that people celebrate. We have holidays about bringing light to the darkness, this is the time that we gather our families together.”

Keith seemed genuinely surprised. “You do?”

“Of course. Winter is the time to be with the people you care about.”

Keith took too long to answer, carefully tracing down Shiro’s arms, along the path they followed around his waist. It was too warm. It had been too warm for too long, and Keith wondered how he was still holding it together. Shiro was overwhelming and exciting, but far more gentle than anyone Keith had ever known. He was worth the risk. “I want you to be happy.”

Shiro swallowed thickly. “I’m happy with you.”

This time, Keith had no reason to doubt him.

They floated there for a while, riding the storm as it purged Spring’s influences from the kingdom, and the skies blazed with color. Shiro felt like he was living through a dream, lost in the wonder of all that Keith held at his fingertips, but when he looked down, the Prince had tucked his face into Shiro’s chest, right over his heart. If it was all a dream, he didn’t want to wake up.

He didn’t know how long they took, but by the time they returned to the castle, his joints were stiff and tense with cold. One by one, his pack roused themselves and together, they hobbled home. The castle woke for them, the lanterns in every hall lighting as they walked past, and Shiro no longer felt so cold.

They stopped at the doorway to Shiro’s bedroom, and Shiro’s hesitated. A treacherous question fought for freedom. It used to be Keith’s room. He could invite the Prince in, but to what end he didn’t know. It had just felt so good holding him, and he didn’t want the night to end.

“Shiro,” Keith said softly. “Thank you for coming back.”

“Thank you for waiting. You gave me enough time to save them.” Shiro didn’t want to let go. If Keith had been anyone else, he’d have drawn the man close, kissed him in the soft lantern light, and pulled him down to share the warmth of his bed. They would never be able to share so much as a single touch and Shiro swallowed his regret.

“Sleep, I’ll see you in the morning.” The words were a promise as Keith leaned in, almost like the kiss he could never give. They hung there a breath apart from what they ached for before Shiro pulled away with a rueful smile, whistling for his dogs that tumbled over each other into the room. Keith watched him until he closed the door behind him, letting out that breath he’d been holding and pressing his hands against his chest to quell the sharp ache.

Whatever this was, this distant hollow feeling, it hurt.

The invisible servants followed their master as he returned to his study, lowering the lanterns and making the room ready. Keith barely noticed their efforts, dropping his cloak on the floor in a pool of white fur and threw himself into an overstuffed chair.

The owl shifted on its perch, ruffling its feathers as Keith settled into the pillows, watching the empty fireplace. He was…satisfied? Some feeling he couldn’t explain in words, a sense of things being right. Shiro was back where he belonged and better than that, he’d chosen to return on his own, not as a spy or as a prisoner, but as a friend. When the hunter looked out at the kingdom, he saw beauty instead of bleak desolation. Shiro liked the winter, he said so, and he said there were others who felt the same way.

Maybe what Keith felt was pride.

Something tugged at his lips, the ghost of a sensation he hadn’t felt in a very long time. Keith couldn’t stop himself from looking towards the mirror. The impulsiveness of it all making him feel a little light-headed, the same way he did when Shiro held on for too long. He held his breath, the silence of the night making his ears ring, before he whispered, “Let me see, Shiro.”

The mirror rippled with magic, colors churning in a kaleidoscope before they settled on the dark room, bathed in soft light. The first thing Keith noticed were the dogs. He could name every single one of them, and it concerned him less and less that they were sprawled all over his bed, if it ever truly concerned him at all. Then he noticed Shiro and he had to stop.

The hunter stood by his bed, carefully stripping off layer after layer of clothing. The human needed so much to stay warm. It was a terrible inconvenience. Keith thought he could fix that. He ought to try at least. Then Shiro shrugged off his inner jacket, and Keith didn’t think much of anything. It was a sliver of warm skin, just above the hem of his pants, golden in the lantern light. Just wide enough that Keith could run both his fingers over it to trace the dip of the hunter’s spine, and he wondered if it would be as soft as it looked. Then Shiro pulled off his shirt, a quick, unself-conscious gesture, revealing the broad expanse of his back and the way his muscles moved when he stretched.

Keith turned away, closing his eyes. A shiver raced across his nerves, spreading across his skin like a fever, and suddenly Keith felt too exposed.

The owl gave a throaty hoot of disapproval and Keith gave the bird a dark look, mirror frosting over completely to cover the image. As much as he wanted to study every inch of soft skin and hard muscle, he didn’t want anyone else to see them. Or worse, to watch  _him_  see them. He gave the owl a haughty sniff and turned away from the mirror, the image of Shiro’s body already seared into his mind.

Thankfully, his protector didn’t bother to comment and Keith pretended that nothing had happened at all.

With a sigh, the prince threw his legs up over the arm of his chair and closed his eyes, replaying the private moment in his mind where no one could see the way he lingered over the curve of Shiro’s back, the dimples near his spine, and the way his hands twitched to dig into his hips. It took a long time for him to fall asleep.

The darkness outside waned, the star-filled sky softening into a deep purple of pre-dawn and everything in the castle was still. The silence was only broken by the sound of bare feet across the cold marble floor, feathers whispering with each step. The woman shimmered with a ghostly light, just a remnant of power and an echo of a long gone being.

_I will protect you_. The specter promised, pressing a kiss to the sleeping Prince’s forehead.  _I will save you from this threat._

 

* * *

 

For the very first time, Shiro was alone in the Ice Prince’s study. It was a sign of trust that nearly overwhelmed him. Shiro had seen first-hand what it was capable of, and the temptation to push its limits was almost too much for him to bear. But Keith was still counting on him. This was as close to the beginning as he could get.

With reverence normally reserved for prayer, he ran his hands across the mirror’s frame, tracing the images of battles carved long before his ancestors existed. There were details his eyes would never truly appreciate, only coming to life at his fingertips, and sometimes, when the shadows stretched just so, the figures looked like they were alive. The mirror was cold, almost as cold as its master. Touching the glass did not seem… wise. Shiro couldn’t find the missing piece at first, until he turned to the side to view along its front. Only then could he catch a glimpse of the imperfection that marred it, a tiny crack that even an ant would have trouble walking.

This was impossible!

Shiro huffed noisily, scrubbing his hands over his face. How did Keith expect him to find it? What did he think he could do?! He could find a hare in a snow pile maybe, track a deer across miles of wilderness, but this went beyond anything anyone could imagine!

“Well? What now?” He demanded the mirror. It did not answer him. Shiro supposed that was a good thing. There was enough magic in the world. Talking mirrors might have been too much for him to handle. “Aren’t you supposed to be able to see everything? Can’t you- can’t you…”

He trailed off, feeling less foolish than he ought to have. He’d been frustrated, and only five minutes into his quest, but the mirror offered possibilities he couldn’t ignore. “Can you show me Keith?”

The surface shimmered, his own reflection replaced with the Ice Prince who was standing at a table in his library, pouring intently over maps and scrolls laid out across a heavy wooden table. Shiro blinked in surprise that the mirror’s magic responded to his request. He leaned in close, transfixed by the image before he shook himself and pulled away.

“Uh, that’s enough?” Shiro waved his hands at the glass, trying to get the image to disappear. He was intruding, spying on Keith without his permission and as curious as he was about what the Ice Prince did when he disappeared alone in the castle, he would respect the other man’s privacy. That had been their deal to each other, no prisoner or captor, but a friendship built on respect.

Doubt whispered in the back of his thoughts, calling him a liar. He wanted Keith’s friendship, but he wanted so much more he could never have and there was no way to deny it. Shiro sighed, running a hand through his hair as he reexamined the mirror. If the magic in the glass was supposed to show the viewer what they asked to see. What if he just asked the right question? Could it possibly be that simple?

“Show me the missing piece.”

The glass ripples again, liquid silver and shifting, but the reflection didn’t clear into anything he could recognize. There was something there, lost in the swirling undefined missed and Shiro squinted, trying to see through the frost. It glinted like a jewel, distant and faint, lost within the mirror’s depth.

A heavy weight crashed into Shiro’s back in a flurry of feathers and talons, catching him unaware and knocking him to the marble floor.

The owl was bigger now, almost as large as a human, its eyes burned with molten fury. Shiro had been a threat, but he’d never been as dangerous as he was in that moment, coming too close to a secret that would unravel the kingdom of Winter. The Prince’s guardian would not let him triumph. Shiro never got the chance to scream.

It descended on him with a screech, angry talons raking across anything it could reach. Shiro came to his senses too late, trying to kick out at the beast, his arms raised to defend himself, but the effort was futile. It slashed across his skin, spilling blood across the ice, taking him apart piece by piece. Vicious claws scored his face, and when Shiro howled, he tasted copper. It ran down his cheeks, dripping sluggish and warm down his jaw. The owl was so heavy, too strong to push away, and too fast to beat back. It pecked at his hands, cutting pieces of meat off with careless cruelty, and Shiro could barely defend himself from the onslaught.

All at once, a block of ice rose up from the ground, curling around him like a shield and separating him from the owl. The bird paused, but only for an instant, realizing faster than Shiro what had intervened. It only hastened its attack, raking it craws across the ice and beating down until it shattered around the hunter.

“STOP!” Keith yelled, but it wouldn’t listen.

_It will not destroy you!_  The owl screeched in a woman’s voice that was so familiar it sent a chill down Keith’s spine. The creature had twisted into something ugly, each feather edged in ice and razor thin. The owl’s face was monstrous with a hooked beak and dark eyes that seemed to take up most of her head, yellow and burning like melted gold.

“Mother?!” Keith froze and the creature used his hesitation to strike. Shiro planted his boots square on the owl’s chest and kicked, throwing it across the room moments before the beak would have stabbed through his neck. He rolled painfully to his feet, bloody hand gripping the leather handle of his hunting knife as he rounded on the creature while Keith watched in shock.

_It will not undo everything!_  The monster howled.  _The human will not take what’s mine!_

Horror settled in the Prince’s empty chest, betrayal painful enough that even he could feel it. The owl raged with the last flicker of his mother’s power, his protector and guardian who had kept him company when he had been all alone. The owl had always been his loyal companion, but he had no idea the beast that hid inside. Even in death, even with just the smallest piece of magic, his mother’s power was terrifying.

Shiro attacked with all his strength, the knife burying itself in feathers as he drove it down to the bone. The blade struck something solid as the owl screamed, magic bleeding from the wound like blood as the fragment of glass burst from her chest. Shiro stumbled backwards with a cry, blinking rapidly as the sharp shard caught in his eye like a needle.

With the last of her magic, the owl threw herself at the hunter. She beat her wings with the power of a raging storm, catching Shiro in the gale and sending him tumbling through a window with a crash.

Keith’s throat ached, and he realized too late that he was screaming. He shoved his way passed the owl, his knees colliding hard with the edge of the window. He reached out with a pained cry and caught Shiro by the fingertips. The hunter was hurt and scared, shaken like Keith had never seen before and never wanted to see again. “Hold on,” he urged, calling up ice and snow from the side of his castle, trying to build a ledge for Shiro to stand on, but a shadow darkened his shoulder.

“Keith!”

The owl screeched, wings beating furiously against the back of the Prince’s head. Not enough to hurt him, but more than enough to distract him, and Shiro’s grip was slipping, broken fingers throbbing with effort. “Don’t let go.” He sobbed. “Don’t let go!”

Keith didn’t, but Shiro couldn’t help it. He tore the glove from Keith’s wrist and reached out blindly with his other arm, trying to claw his way back to safety. It happened so quickly, Shiro didn’t realize his mistake. Wherever they touched, his skin turned to ice. Blood froze in his veins and spread across his flesh. The Prince’s magic spread through his skin, and took Shiro apart piece by piece. Shiro watched in horror as his arm crackled and froze, shattering like glass.

“NO!”

Keith let go, and Shiro screamed.

With a surge of wild magic, the Prince pooled all of his strength and sent a wind racing across the courtyard. It caught the drifts of snow, trying to cushion Shiro’s fall, but it wasn’t enough. Keith’s hands gripped the edge of the window, ignoring how the jagged edges of the glass cut through his hands as he leaned out to call for his hunter, voice raw as Shiro’s name tore itself from his throat.

The owl sent Keith sprawling as it flew through the smashed window to escape. Without the stolen sliver of magic mirror, its power was waning and its form disintegrating. It left a trail of feathers behind it as the owl burst out into the storm and disappeared into the blinding snow.

“Wait!” Keith pulled himself to his feet, calling out after the owl as he leaned back out of the window, wind whipping through his fur cloak. “Stop!”

Below him, Shiro lay like a broken doll on the flagstones, blood staining the snow.


	6. Chapter 6

Emotions were terrible.

They left Keith confused and in pain, drowning in feelings he couldn’t understand and didn’t have words to explain. He had never felt like this before, never  _felt_  before Shiro had turned his world upside down and left him falling with nothing to hold on to. He had wanted things he’d never known, and now he’d lost everything.

The owl didn’t return. The prince had called for his protector until his voice was hoarse, leaving the windows of the palace open until hallways were filled with snow drifts, but the owl never answered. A fragment of his mother’s power lived on in the owl, watching over him when he was alone and now he’d lost her all over again.

And Shiro. The human slept, but it wasn’t like the way he slept before, warm and lazy, sprawled across Keith’s bed after claiming it for his own. His skin looked pale, and a faint sheen of sweat darkened his brow. Deep cuts were carved into his body, including one that sliced his face and had almost taken his eyes. He moaned in his sleep, calling out unintelligibly for help. Keith had no idea what to do.

The arm was gone, the wound severe. Keith staunched the bleeding with ice and barked orders to the invisible servants to help even if they knew less about healing than he did. His aunts would have been able to fix Shiro, they could use the powers of life to make him whole again.

Keith just destroyed everything he touched.

He still couldn’t give up. He and his castle worked as well as they could with what little they knew. They washed Shiro’s wounds, binding the stump in clean cloth, and when he was cold in the dead of night, the lanterns came to life until his room felt like it was kissed by the noon sun. Shiro slept on, oblivious, and Keith worried he would never wake again. Then one day, late in the afternoon on an otherwise normal day, Shiro did. He reached out with one hand, and froze. Keith was already halfway to his room as soon as the servants brought word.

When he burst through the door, Shiro flinched, but kept his back to him. That should have been his first clue, but Keith was too overwhelmed to notice. “Shiro, I was so worried-”

“I don’t want to see you.” The hunter said, in a voice like shattered glass.

Emotions were terrible, and Keith didn’t know how to recover.

Time blurred together, until the days felt like one endless struggle. Shiro never left his room. His pack had taken to following Keith around. The twins, Cross-eyed, Woofles, and Droolly were desperate to find a source for warmth now that their master had faded. Keith couldn’t give them what they sought, but he tried. He missed Shiro just as much. He spent too much time in front of the mirror, watching Shiro, waiting for a sign that he was recovering, but the hunter hardly ever moved, nor did he ever speak a word.

It was inspiration that motivated Keith, or what he hoped was a stroke of genius. He got to work immediately. He couldn’t give Shiro back what he lost, but he could give him the next best thing, and as the Prince worked, his chest ached. He thought it might be hope.

He was careful as he poured his magic into his creation, taking the time to weave his power through the ice. He couldn’t bring things to life or heal, but maybe he could still create. He’d taken too much from Shiro already, he had to find a way to make him feel whole again.

The next time Shiro woke, the prince was the first thing he saw. Keith hovered over him, face devoid of emotion and far too close, beating out even the pack that had gathered around them. Shiro flinched. He felt disoriented and heavy. Shiro tried to push himself up off the pillows and stopped, lifting his new arm in shock.

“Do you like it? Is it alright?” Keith asked quietly as Shiro flexed the ice that moved and responded like it was flesh. It burned, seared across his nerves with magic, but it worked. One of the dogs whined, nuzzling close to his hand to demand attention and Shiro carefully stroked the icy fingers through the dog’s ruff, marveling how he could actually feel as if it were his own fingertips.

“You did this?”

“I wanted to make it right.” Keith perched on the edge of the bed, hands folded in his lap where they couldn’t hurt anyone. “I don’t know how to fix this.”

“I don’t think you can fix it.” Shiro squeezed his new hand into a fist, wincing at the cold.

“But I can! I replaced it and if it doesn’t work, I’ll just make another one.” It was simple, why was Shiro just giving him that look like he didn’t understand? “I could find the right spell, you’ll be okay.”

Shiro knew he might be reading too closely into the Prince again, looking for emotions that weren’t there, but he knew that Keith was worried about him. Keith cared, even if he didn’t know how. It made his ribs feel too tight, as uncomfortable as the spells that played across his skin, and Shiro didn’t want to give up but some days, it was just too difficult to try.

“Sometimes you can’t just fix things once they’re broken, Keith. They’re changed. I-I…I don’t know what to do now.” He couldn’t be a hunter with one arm, his life was over. He’d have to rely on others to care for him, never being able to provide for his friends or his people. He couldn’t even do the simplest tasks without someone there to lace his boots or help him slip a shirt over his head. He grieved and raged at the unfairness of it all, pain locked inside until it threatened to tear apart what was left of him. 

He was broken.

“Tell me what I can do?” Keith asked and Shiro rubbed his human hand against his eye, vision blurred and head aching.

“I don’t know. For now, just stay?”

Keith didn’t react immediately, and Shiro tried not to read anything in his silence. He still curled in on himself, his replacement arm dragging by his side. The magic bit into his nerves, and its teeth sharpened every time he moved, and as his head pounded, it seemed to get worse and worse. He didn’t notice that Keith had taken a seat until there was a gentle weight on his knee.

Shiro stiffened, grabbing his blanket instinctively.

“I want to help you.” The Ice Prince was infallible in his perfection, and the divide between them had never seemed so large, not even when he had Shiro bound and trapped in a prison cell. Now Shiro struggled to pull himself together, dredging up the last of his reserves in the hopes of finding something that was worth presenting to a friend, but he never found enough. It had only gotten worse the longer he tried, and some days, he wasn’t sure Keith was supposed to be a friend.

“I told you I don’t know.” Shiro was tired. He hadn’t left his room since the accident, but he was still so tired, and he hated it. “I don’t want to feel this way.”

“What’s wrong?”

 _Everything_. “It hurts when I move. I can’t-”

Keith rushed to reassure him. “Then let me improve it. I can make you better.”

“I’m not something you can take apart and put back together whenever you feel like it! This is all your fault!” Shiro snapped, more vicious than he intended, but in that moment, it was difficult to say what he thought he could accomplish. The accusation hung between them, heavy and bitter. Shiro looked away first. “I’m sorry,” he said, distraught. Something clawed its way up his throat, fighting to tear him apart, and Shiro was afraid it was a scream. He rubbed at his eye before slowly holding out his prosthetic, trembling with cold. “Take it off. Please take it off, it hurts. I’m sorry, Keith. I didn’t mean it. It was an accident. I’m sorry.”

The device came off in a rush of magic, and Shiro curled into his bed, gritting his teeth as he willed himself to stop shaking. It wouldn’t be okay for a long time, and there was no lone bandaid that would fix this. Keith wouldn’t abandon him.

Shiro needed time, and time was all that an immortal could give. Keith was there to support him when he needed support. When Shiro was angry, he let his rage wash over him, standing quietly as the human thrashed, and held him afterwards when he was empty. He gave him space when Shiro needed to be alone and tried to remember Shiro’s words. He couldn’t just be fixed.

Recovery was slow and there were nights Shiro woke screaming, trying to grasp with the ghost of an army that didn’t exist. He knew that what had happened was an accident, that it hadn’t been Keith’s fault, but it didn’t stop the swell of anger that always felt so much better than the helpless pain, burning behind his eyes with an intensity that frightened him. Sometimes, Shiro didn’t even feel like himself anymore.

“You did this to me!” He snarled as Keith watched impassively, the Prince’s inability to react just feeding the rage.  “Say something!  _Do_  something! Don’t you care at all?”

Keith’s voice was always flat and calm, talking Shiro down with logic and never understanding Shiro’s loss. “You need to calm down.” He was as cold as ice and sometimes, Shiro hated him for that.

“Fuck you.” Shiro hissed, eyes burning with the tears he couldn’t seem to cry.

The Prince left him alone until Shiro’s grief was spent and the hunter was willing to curl against him, sad and quiet, apologizing for his outburst he couldn’t seem to control. Keith waved the apology away, the words didn’t hurt. Nothing ever hurt.

Eventually, Shiro was able to leave the bed and slowly shuffle around the castle. The dogs bounced around him excitedly, but all he could over them was a thin, worn smile. Keith never stopped tinkering with his creation, trying to refine the ice sculpture and coaxing Shiro to test out each icy limb as he improved on the design. The hunter didn’t fight, submitting to Keith’s experiments with a calm patience and relearning how to move with an arm made of ice and magic.

Even with his new arm, Keith saw a change in his hunter. The human didn’t laugh like he used to, his bright smile hidden as Keith found himself looking for it, maybe even missing it whenever Shiro looked at him, face drawn and tired.

“The Prince cannot have a damaged pawn.” Shiro said softly at one point, and something in his tone made Keith look over, but the human seemed preoccupied, examining his new hand. It was solid and stronger than steel. Keith had done everything in his power to make sure nothing would be able to destroy it. He could not tell if Shiro was pleased.

“It’s why you do this. If you had no use for me, you wouldn’t want to keep me around.”

Keith’s brows furrowed, confusion giving way to uneasiness. He wondered if he should have been more guarded, but Shiro hadn’t raised a hand to strike. He only watched Keith with impassive eyes. Keith didn’t think they’d ever been so lifeless.

“That’s not true,” he countered, and Shiro smiled. For once, Keith couldn’t say he liked it.

“It’s why you brought me here. To follow your orders. To hunt for you. You took me from the people I cared for and then you used them against me to force me to stay. You wanted everything from me, and I would have given it all. Now you’ve damaged your investment and you’re scrambling.”

“That’s not true. Be silent.”

Shiro lowered his head, in an approximation of a bow, but no protest was forthcoming. He kept the arm.

He went out that day with his dogs, raging far over the tundra before returning as the last bit of light faded from the evening sky. The next time, he took the magic sled, disappearing into the tree line and coming back smelling like pine as the dogs flopped tiredly on the castle floor, panting happily after their run. He barely spoke to Keith, just ate and slept, getting up before dawn to try again.

“Where do you go?” The prince asked, catching Shiro before he left in the morning. Shadows stretched across the courtyard and everything was still as the light behind the eastern mountains grew, threatening to spill the sun across their peaks at any moment.

“To do my job.” Shiro said simply. He held out one broken white feather and the breath caught in Keith’s throat as he carefully took it from Shiro’s hand.

“Have you found her yet?”

“No, but I found signs of the owl. I will bring her back to you.”

Keith nodded, sending Shiro on his way with a faint hum of what he thought could be pride. “Find the owl.” If anyone could, it would be his hunter. He’d once thought to use Shiro’s skills to undermine his aunts, turning their pawn against them. Having a willing hunter of such skill was much better, especially when he could see Shiro’s single-minded focus on his task.

Sometimes, Keith watched his hunter through the enchanted mirror, watching as Shiro tracked signs that even Keith couldn’t detect. The dogs never played and never barked while they worked, creeping through the shadows of the forest almost unseen as they stalked their prey. If the owl had stayed in his hands, shielding herself somehow from Keith’s wandering eyes, then his hunter would find her.

And yet the dogs seemed more and more quiet in the castle as well. They were understandably exhausted when they returned after a long journey, and Shiro was always careful when seeing to their care, but it wasn’t the same way it used to be. Keith found himself in the chair Shiro used to favor, with only the dead embers of an unlit fireplace for company; it was where they’d used to spend their nights after dinner, losing time to an endless conversation. Now Shiro appeared to be better, but Keith still felt like there was something he was missing.

“Are you not going to spend dinner with me?” He asked, as soon as he got the chance, and Shiro came to call with no further prompt. Yet the space between the stretched on, and the prince could find no way to voice his unease.

Keith had exactly what he wanted, and none of it felt right.

Was it possible to miss someone who was still with him?

Keith spent too many nights dwelling on the question, watching his hunter as he gazed into the fire, as still as any statue. It was not enough. For one day, dawn broke, and with it came a thousand vicious cries. They echoed through the mountains, alien and ominous in a world that was built on silence. Thick black clouds filled the air, soaring over his kingdom like wraiths and blocking out the sun. Keith had expected it, feared it, but he still wasn’t ready for an invasion.

The sky rumbled with thunder before it was cut apart by lightning. Then the storm came. Rain battered his castle, melting snow and ice as Autumn’s beasts claimed the sky. Wicked crows with keen eyes and cruel talons took apart everything in their path, breaking through the castle’s defenses even if it meant leaving a trail of corpses in their wake.

“Shiro!” The prince shouted for his hunter as he called up his own storm, trying to freeze the warm rain that melted everything it touched. His Kingdom was dissolving around him, snow soggy and disintegrating as dull green grass broke through. He struggled to keep up, the rain washing away his magic as the crows descended in a dark cloud.

He lashed out at the screaming birds who tore at his clothes and cut deep, sending a few bodies tumbling to the ground encased in blocks of ice. It wasn’t enough, the more he struck from the sky, the more would take their place. Autumn’s servants were relentless, sleek black and deadly, their beaks sharpened like knives and rows of eyes like tiny jet pebbles lined their heads. They were monsters, not ordinary birds, twisted by his Aunt’s magic to destroy them.

If only owl were here to help protect the skies, but she was long gone and with Keith’s most ardent defender missing, Autumn launched her bid for absolute power. She just never factored in the human.

Shiro wasn’t a warrior or a knight, he was a hunter and if there was anything he knew how to do, it was bring down an animal. A flaming arrow streaked across the sky catching a crow in the throat inches from Keith’s face, the bird dying with a gurgle as its feathers caught fire like dry leaves. Panic spread through the flock as another arrow struck, and another, striking down their enemies with deadly accuracy. Keith gasped for breath, pulling free from his attackers and looking wildly for the human crouched on the castle’s balcony, knocking another arrow and tracking his target before letting it fly.

The crows cawed madly, fighting among themselves in their desperation to escape this new threat. Keith used their fear, calling an arctic wind to freeze the rain into thin needles to pierce the crows’ wings and bring them down.

Shiro was his guard. He struck where the flocks were most vulnerable, spreading flames through their ranks and inciting a panic. He drew their attention off the Prince, and even when they circled, kept his calm, his pack barking madly at his feet. It was just the opportunity Keith needed to refocus.

From the fading snow and crumbling castle, he summoned his guards. Great golems of ice tore away from the walls, leaving the castle on uneven columns that teetered dangerously but would not fall. Even as they were being melted away, the giants reached into the sky to pluck down Autumn’s attacking fleet. While they battled, Keith reinforced his home, recreating a fortress in the place of his palace, a citadel that could not be taken down.

Shiro had found his target, the largest of all the crows, a monstrous, hulking creature whose wings spread like a glossy veil across the sky. Its many eyes raked across the battlefield, struggling to command the beasts below it as they tore each other apart, driven to madness by flame and ice. Docking his arrow, Shiro took aim. The hunter would claim its eyes first.

The arrow struck true, burying itself in the monstrous crow’s skull as the creature screeched in pain. Flames consumed its feathers to ash and with a final defiant cry for its mistress, the beast fell. Whatever magic had controlled the flock broke in an instant as frightened birds scattered across the grey sky, fleeing the carnage as the freezing rain slowly turned to soft flakes. The snow gently blanketed the bloodied battlefield in white, covering the bodies of the crows until every trace of the massacre was hidden by pure clean snow.

With a tired wave of his hands, Keith recalled his icy guardians and the castle rumbled as they retook their place, supporting the bolstered fortress. That had been too close, his Aunt had never been so direct with her attack before. It was no mistake that she’d chosen to send her crows when his own owl protector was gone. Weariness claimed him and Keith slumped down to the ground, wondering how much longer he’d be able to keep them at bay.

Footsteps rang against the marble as Shiro skidded into view, rushing to Keith’s side as he gathered the prince in his arms.

“You saved me.” Keith murmured, letting himself relax into his hunter’s touch. The day would have been lost without him, once again Shiro had surprised him. He promised to stop underestimating the human, every time he did, Shiro proved him wrong.

“Always.” There was still no trace of a smile in Shiro’s promise, but Keith tried to convince himself that he wasn’t missing it. “Let me take care of you.”

“Thank you.” Keith wrapped his arms around Shiro’s neck and let his hunter carry him through the halls of the castle towards his bedroom.

The silent servants were back, and with them rose the castle’s defenses. Keith thought he heard a whine somewhere in the distance, and tucked into Shiro’s arms, he could still watch Barkley hobble towards the stables. The dog wasn’t incapacitated, but clearly injured and strangely, Shiro didn’t seem to care. It slipped through Keith’s mind like oil on glass, something he knew he should have heeded, but they were already heading down the corridor to his home, and Shiro was a sturdy weight against him.

Shiro helped him into bed, every movement precise and methodical, and Keith wanted so badly to surrender. He could feel himself falling. This time, he let go.

“Stay with me?” He whispered, softly like he didn’t want to be heard, but Shiro turned towards him without hesitation, leaning in like there was nothing more he wanted in the world, and Keith froze.

“Always.”

His hand was on Keith’s wrist. His fragile, human hand, made of soft skin and endless warmth, and Shiro was still safe and whole, and it was too much. The Prince lunged forward, pulling Shiro into a desperate, needy kiss. It was clumsy and graceless, but no amount of inexperience could tear him down. The first touch was indescribable, as terrifying as falling and as liberating as flying and if Keith had a heart, he was sure it would stop. Shiro was soft and sweet inside, pliant and gentle when he pulled him in. It was better than anything he could have hoped for, more than he’d ever dreamed. It took too long for Keith to realize that Shiro wasn’t moving.

“No!” The word escaped passed his lips with horror, jerking himself away. He’d destroyed Shiro, his deadly touch had killed the human because he’d been so careless. He reached his trembling hands for his hunter, but Shiro watched him passively, still alive and in one piece.

“H-how?” Keith stuttered, letting Shiro strip the heavy leather gloves from his hands before leaning in close to steal another kiss. The Prince’s eyes fluttered closed, doubts wiped away in the feel of Shiro moving against him, his weight pressing Keith back into the pillows. He indulged his fantasies and carded his fingers through Shiro’s dark hair, marveling at how soft it felt. He dragged bare fingertips down the side of his hunter’s face, carefully tracing the line of his jaw and each small scar that marred him. This was impossible, he was nothing but a destructive force, but Shiro stole the very air from his lungs and left Keith gasping.

“I don’t know.” Shiro murmured, pulling back just enough to press the words against Keith’s mouth.

Keith’s fingers rested on Shiro’s pulse, counting the slow and steady beats of the human’s heart. “You’re colder than I thought you’d be.” He whispered, Shiro’s skin so pale it almost seemed blueish. “I can’t touch you, you should be dead. I would shatter you like your arm. Like I did with your dog.”

Shiro didn’t seem to care about the risks, tipping Keith’s head back to kiss him again and the Prince surrendered, too hungry for his touch. He unclasped the hunter’s cloak, unlacing his shirt to run his hands down the hard planes of Shiro’s stomach. The skin was softer than he realized, tight muscles moving beneath them and Keith was utterly fascinated.

His hunter, his savior, his friend. Shiro was overwhelming and insurmountable, more than anything Keith had ever known or anything he could have prepared for, and Keith still needed more. “I want you,” he whispered around a breathy moan, pulling Shiro in until he could feel his heart beating against his chest. He’d never meant anything as sincerely as he did then. “Do you want me too?”

Keith never meant to sound so eager. Shiro looked down at him through half-lidded eyes, his lips slicked pink, hair standing on end where Keith had run his fingers through it, and for a moment, Keith couldn’t breathe.

“I want whatever you want.”

Shiro’s shoulders were heaving, his breath coming in ragged gasps that warmed the curve of Keith’s mouth. He had a voice like satin, and Keith was the reason it had gone so rough, but in his eyes there was nothing. None of the warmth, none of the fear, none of the passion Keith had grown to care for. Keith wasn’t sure he understood, or maybe he was just afraid that he did.

“That’s not what I mean.” Keith said, though he had a hard time explaining himself. “You don’t have to do this.”

But Shiro had no answer for him, and Keith’s throat constricted like a noose had settled around it. “Shiro-”

He reached out, touching Shiro’s shoulder, and the hunter’s entire body flinched. Yet he didn’t protest, and his expression remained impassive. Keith recoiled in shock, pushing himself towards the edge of the bed. Shiro made no move to stop him.

“Does it hurt?” Keith demanded, and something prickled in the corner of his vision, dotting his sight with darkness. 

“Yes.”

Keith remembered Shiro screaming at him, crying himself hoarse, begging him to leave or to stay, or anything in between. He saw none of that spirit now. Bile crept up the back of Keith’s throat, and he lunged at Shiro, peeling of the metal in a panic. Magic bent to his will, fueled by the Prince’s frenzy, but his hunter only moved with him.

“Why didn’t you tell me? I can’t help you if you don’t tell me.” Keith scolded as he pulled the prosthetic free, but Shiro barely reacted, even when the prince ran his hands over what was left of Shiro’s arm. The skin was raw and bleeding, burned by too-cold ice and bruised almost black. Keith held his breath as he gently touched the ragged skin, watching for any flicker on Shiro’s expressionless face.

“It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine, none of this is fine.” Shiro was here in his arms, skin touching skin without death. His body ached in ways he didn’t have words for, need swelling in ice cold veins. “You said you didn’t want to be my prisoner, that was your rule when you came back.”

Shiro didn’t answer. There was no reaction in his face or spark in his eyes no matter how Keith searched for it. Somehow, the hunter had changed. He’d been so full of laughter and even anger, burning with a flame so hot that Keith thought he would be consumed right along with Shiro.

“Aren’t you angry anymore?”

“No.” Shiro’s answer was calm. Shiro wasn’t anything anymore.

This was everything Keith had wanted and his for the taking. An absolutely loyal companion who would never leave him, one that he could touch in any way he wanted. And yet, this wasn’t anything like he wanted. “What’s happened to you? I hurt you again, didn’t I?” 

Keith pushed Shiro away, fleeing his own room, and the emptiness in his chest throbbed with what no longer existed.

_Tha-dud. Tha-dud. Tha-dud._

 

* * *

 

The palace was a masterpiece, spreading across the lands to touch everything bathed in golden sun. It stretched around the trees, walls of rock and stone giving way to their powerful roots until supple elm and gentle willow lent their strength to the building. Great, golden arches crossed rushing waterways, claiming them without taming their force, and becoming stronger for it. The large, clear windows could be seen from the skies, glass crafted in different colors that sweetened with the passing sun. The Castle of Summer was alive with power, but when its newest guest screamed, her voice carried through every hall.

Autumn was a gale force wind, and the crackle of a falling leaf, and she flew through her sister’s kingdom with enough force to make her windows shake. She landed in the courtyard, curled hair in tangles she didn’t notice around her impish face, ready to take the world apart with her bare hands. The garden trees bowed under the force, but they would not break.

“The child is out of control!”

“It didn’t work?” A silvery voice answered her from the other end of the courtyard. “How shocking. Perhaps now you’ll rethink dropping in unannounced.”

There was a rumble through the plaza, a warning sound from its nimble-footed guardian that watched from the shadows. Autumn caught the glimpse of one scaled wing before it disappeared. And from her perch on a marble throne, Summer reigned supreme.

“That  _brat_  needs to be taught a lesson. He’s making a mess of everything!” Autumn raged, kicking up little bursts of wind that ruffled the hem of her sister’s dress. The Queen of Summer smiled and stood, letting the yellow and orange silk trail behind her as she carefully stepped from her dais. Her skin was dark, a brown warmed by a land of bright sun and peeking through the bright colored silk as she moved. Her hair was white and pulled back from her lovely face, set with a crown of roses.

“Maybe you should just leave him alone like I suggested.” Allura said with a smile and plucked a red leaf from her sister’s snarled curls.

“Someone needs to take control, he’s unstable and the north needs a stronger ruler.” Autumn fumed.

“And I assume you think that’s you?” Autumn scowled but didn’t deny her motives. “I think our other sister had the same idea. Maybe the both of you shouldn’t be quite so selfish?”

“We’re doing him a favor.” The Autumn Queen snapped, as Allura replaced the leaf with a blooming flower.

“You should attend to your own kingdom and stop trying to extend your borders where they’re not wanted.” As beautiful as she was, there was the sharp edge of steel to Allura’s voice. “Leave Prince Keith to me.”


	7. Chapter 7

Shiro stood defiantly before Keith. Well, as defiantly as he could be these days. Keith knew that it would take just a word and the hunter would bow, accepting his orders without question or hesitation. Shiro had always had his own mind, taking a stand for what he wanted and defending himself when he thought he’d been wronged, even to the face of the Ice Prince himself. Now, he watched Keith with empty eyes, the person he used to be disappearing like the invisible servants who whispered through the halls.

The Prince missed him terribly.

“I need it.”

“But the arm I can create for you causes you pain!” Keith had tried to fix Shiro’s loss and failed again. He’d taken too much from the hunter that he couldn’t give back and he didn’t want to hurt Shiro again. He’d promised that he wouldn’t and hadn’t been able to keep it, the least he could do was try again.

Shiro watched him impassively and lifted the stump of his arm for emphasis. “I’m your hunter, that’s why you keep me. Without an arm, I can’t hunt. I can’t draw a bow. I can’t catch the owl for you. I would be useless, there would be no reason for you to keep me.”

“I would always keep you.” That much Keith knew for sure, even if this version of Shiro was as cold and empty as he was. The Prince reached out for him, drawn to Shiro as always and forced himself to resist the lure of the hunter’s touch. His body craved it, denied the simplest affections for so long and now that Shiro could touch him freely without injury, it was like Keith ached for it. But Shiro wouldn’t have approve,  _his_  Shiro would have wanted the freedom to choose.

“Please give me the arm?”

Keith sighed, knowing that he’d lost. If he pushed any harder, Shiro would stop asking, but knowing that he was causing his friend pain was almost unbearable. The emptiness inside of him felt raw, chest scraped open and throbbing as Keith tried to sort through the fleeting broken fragments of emotions he couldn’t name or understand. He wanted to tell Shiro that he was sorry, that Shiro wasn’t broken, that he was still whole and important and so incredibly brave even without his arm. He wanted…

With a wave of his hand, Keith plucked ice from the air and began to shape it with magic.

The entire time he worked, Shiro stood in silence, and where Keith once found peace, all he noticed was absence. It almost seemed like Shiro wasn’t even breathing. But the arm was completed, better than the last, more sturdy, more sensitive, and Keith hoped it was close enough to perfect to make a difference.

“Does it hurt?” He asked, as the hunter adjusted it over his stump. Keith wasn’t sure, but he thought Shiro hesitated before he answered. Shiro’s voice remained as impassive as ever.

“Yes.” He performed preliminary checks on the limb, apparently unaffected by the pain, but Keith knew better than to accept that now. “It functions well.”

Keith wondered if that was some form of comfort. Surely not. Shiro knew Keith had no need for such things… But the old Shiro would have tried it anyway. He listened to the hunter go, unable to look up until the door closed behind him. Keith knew he had work to do. He knew he had to perfect the gift he promised Shiro. He knew he had so much to make up for. Yet it was a long time before he found the strength to move, and thinking about the only friend he ever knew still made his chest ache.

The Prince left his study, lost in his own thoughts, but determined to seek another plan of action. He saw no trace of her, heard not the rustle of silk nor the sound of her sighs, not until she wanted him to.

“It’s been too long, Nephew Dearest. I haven’t seen you since - well, wouldn’t you like to know.”

Keith spun around, and it felt like the ground had dropped out from beneath his feet. Standing in the throne room, inspecting the pinnacle of his mother’s legacy, was the Queen of Summer. Her hair had been tied into an intricate bow at the back of her head, her long robes of yellow and red fell in waves around her, and every time she moved, they danced like living flames. She didn’t appear armed. Keith knew better than to take comfort in that.

There wasn’t an ounce of unnatural heat in the castle, such was the extent of her control over her powers. To the Castle Servants, she was as good as invisible. Keith had no idea how long she’d been waiting… or watching.

Spring had tried to sneak her way into his kingdom, Autumn had come with on the wings of a storm. Apparently Summer thought she could just stroll right into his palace like she already owned everything. She was the most powerful of all her sisters and Keith knew that he would never be able to defeat her, not face to face. Still, he called his power to him, frost bursting in fractal flowers across the marble.

Allura only laughed, dismissing him and his power without concern. “I’m not here to attack you, I’m just here to visit my favorite nephew.” She said breezily as Keith lowered his hands suspiciously.

“That’s not what your sisters did.”

“They’re a little overeager sometimes, but I’m here to set things right.” Allura was keeping something from him, Keith was sure of it. She loved her secrets and her power, playing some game he didn’t even know the rules to, but she was always honorable. “You have my word, I’m not here to harm you.”

The Prince finally nodded, every motion awkward and stilted. “Fine.”

She smiled brightly and made herself at home forcing Keith to follow at her heels and wondering if he made a mistake. There was no way Allura would have come here without some ulterior motive, but Keith had no way to know what had piqued her interest until it was too late.

“So  _you’re_  the human that defeated my sister’s crows.” Allura said, all but pouncing on Shiro as he was readying his pack for his next hunt. He paused as she examined him closely, lips pressed together as she saw the living ice that made his right hand. “Not really what I expected, Keith. Autumn said he was a warrior, she didn’t mention this.”

“It was an accident!” Keith snapped, even his cold and empty calm no match for Allura’s judgement. “He’s fine, aren’t you Shiro?”

“I’m fine.” The hunter echoed lifelessly, watching Keith for instruction and Keith winced as Allura carefully dragged her nails down the rough stubble on Shiro’s cheek.

“He’s a handsome one, I’ll give you that. But what exactly did you to do him? He’s so scarred and cold.” She gently touched the icy arm, watching for the tiny spark of pain flickering in Shiro’s eyes.

The hunter flinched, a reflexive response but he didn’t cry out, nor did the pain register in his expression. Allura still saw everything she had hoped for. Most important of all was the way Keith stepped closer, his hand raised before he could realize what he was doing. When she smiled at him, her nephew withdrew, his back ramrod straight and hands curled into fists at his sides. Allura had been playing this game for a long time now; it was satisfying to see the fruits of her labor.

“Humans aren’t meant to be so cold.” She said, with something like sympathy in her voice. Keith wasn’t sure he could focus. His eyes were drawn back to the way she rested her hand on Shiro’s chest, just over his heart, and no matter what he did, he couldn’t seem to ignore it.

There had always been a measure of envy when he considered his aunts. They’d been dancing around war and peace for so long, their powers were unquestionable, and their potential limitless. Yet Summer always stood out. Summer was power, and heat, and daring, not just Winter’s opposite, but its balance. While Spring and Autumn thrived on change, Summer was just as enduring and just as demanding as Winter. But Summer still stood for love.

 “He’s fine,” Keith repeated, but the words felt heavy on his tongue. It wouldn’t do to show weakness around any of his Aunts, but Shiro needed so much more than he knew how to give. Allura continued like he hadn’t spoken.

“Your mother had the same problem with her human. You must have the same tastes.”

Keith didn’t think that was a compliment, no matter how sweetly Allura smiled.

“You may go.” The Prince dismissed his hunter who offered them both a stiff bow before taking his pack and heading out to the courtyard to begin his hunt. Keith watched him until he was out of sight, but couldn’t hide his discomfort from Allura’s scrutiny.

“It’s not safe for him here, Keith.” She said gently, making too much sense and Keith didn’t want to hear a word. “You’re not stable, you’ve hurt him. He needs someone who can take care of him without breaking him anymore.”

“You think that’s you?” Keith asked too sharply.

“We both know it is. If you actually care anything about him, you’ll do what’s best for him and give him to me. I promise I’ll take good care of him.” She said as Keith ground his teeth together and didn’t say a word, just gestured for Allura to follow him to the guest suite. She wasn’t wrong. Everything he’d done had just ended up hurting Shiro more. He’d taken too much and still lost his friend in the end, not including owl too. Everything had fallen apart once he stopped seeing Shiro as a tool and as…as something  _else_  that he clung to too tightly. He managed to stay polite until Allura had closed the door to her rooms, then turned on his heel.

Let Allura take Shiro!? It was unthinkable, he needed Shiro here. He wanted, he wanted so badly that he couldn’t breathe. There was no way he was going to just let Allura swoop in here out of nowhere and take what was his. And yet, was that fair? After all he’d done to Shiro, his only friend in the world deserved to be somewhere safe.

He would show her. Shiro was going to be fine, this was just a small mistake. The human was resilient and would find a way to heal. He’d smile again and Keith would prove to Allura that she should leave empty handed. Keith’s stepped quickened with his resolve as he headed to the courtyard, catching Shiro as he was readying the ice sled for his hunt.

Shiro turned to greet him. He wasn’t smiling, and that feeling in Keith’s chest returned, the sharp pang of absence that echoed so loudly through his chest it left his teeth aching. Shiro had given him so much. Keith wondered why he hadn’t learned to appreciate it sooner.

“Don’t go yet.” He said, and the hunter stepped away from his sled without a moment’s hesitation. An ugly shudder raced through Keith’s nerves, but he tried for a smile, mimicking the sweet expression that used to come so naturally to his friend. It felt like a shadow of what Shiro could offer. “I want you to come with me.” He said, turning on his heel and knowing he would be followed. The want to reach out and take Shiro’s hand danced in the back of his mind, but Keith forced himself to resist temptation. There was an urgency in his step, not true excitement but something like it. He had an idea, another strategy to try, and Keith put too much fate in it.

They came to a stop in the center of his courtyard, where the frozen pond stood just as desolate as it had before. With a huff, Keith smoothed the ice, bidding it spread before making his way to its shore. Shiro was only one step behind.

Keith stepped out on pond, a sliver of ice forming at the bottom of his shoes the way Shiro had taught him. “Like this, right? This is how you do it.”

“Yes, but-” Shiro wobbled as blades of ice formed along the bottoms of his boots, sending him off balance. He managed to keep from falling on his face, but barely, watching Keith with questioning eyes. The Prince tried to nudge him along, circling around Shiro with grace.

“It’s just like you showed me. Will you skate with me?”

Shiro looked down at his feet with a frown. “It’s a waste of time. I need to get on my way before it gets too late.”

Keith slowed, taking Shiro’s hands in his own and willing him to smile. To laugh. To push back like he used to, brave and defiant and so compassionate even when Keith didn’t deserve it. He had to be okay, Allura was wrong. He could take care of Shiro by himself, they could be together and neither one of them would ever have to be alone again. It was what he’d wanted for so long and he was sure Shiro had wanted the same thing. He’d chosen to come back, he wanted to be here. “Please?”  _Choose me again?_

“Is that what you want me to do?” Shiro asked, as calm and empty as ever and Keith pulled away, balling his hands at his side. That was no choice at all.

“No.” He said flatly, melting the ice on both of their shoes. “Never mind. You should go on your hunt, don’t let me keep you.”

Shiro gave him a quick bow and turned back to his sled, fitting his dogs into their harnesses. The Prince didn’t stay to watch and turned back to the castle, retreating back into the quiet loneliness of his study where no one could see him. Allura was right, he’d broken Shiro and ruined him with his touch. It would be a mercy to send his friend with her and as far away from him as possible. He was poison, just like his mother, Allura had known it as soon as she’d seen him. Keith just hadn’t wanted to admit it.

Just like his mother.

Keith made sure the door was barred before striding over to the mirror with his almost perfect surface, scowling at his reflection in the glass. “Show me what happened to my father. I want to see what my mother did to him.”

He had a moment of regret, a moment of what could have been fear. Something knocked against the inside of his ribcage like it wanted to break free, but colors turned inside his mirror, taking him back to a time he could never reach. He wouldn’t have known it at first glance. The palace was pristine, just as polished and splendid as it was today. It was like no time had passed at all, but there was one difference. There was a Queen on the throne.

Keith had only seen her through the mirror twice. The first time was a hazy, unfocused memory, when he was too young to know better and desperate enough to reach into the past. He’d begged for her to speak with him, to come back and explain why the castle had to be so empty. The second time, it was an accident, in the middle of his many, many lessons in politics and battle and sorcery. An image of his mother pouring over her living globe, planning her advancing army, the start of a legacy she intended him to continue. He asked the mirror to find another lesson.

Then there was now. She was beautiful and terrible, as deceptively still as a glacier, but thunder danced behind her eyes. Behind her was someone Keith had never seen before, his father. He was tall and proud, skin pale beneath his tan, and features sharpened with an aristocratic edge. He bore the signs of a warrior, and enough characteristics to identify him as one of Shiro’s countrymen. The same thick hair and high brow. But it was in their eyes that they were the most similar, not in shape or color, but in the distant, unseeing gleam that possessed them.

Keith shuddered, the urge to be ill threatening to overwhelm him. They were the same, in all the worst ways, and nothing else mattered.

“She’s coming to take you away,” his mother said, voice barely above a whisper, but it seemed to ring through the ice, until she sounded like she spoke against the shell of Keith’s ear. “But you are mine, aren’t you, my Prince?”

“Always.”

Keith tensed, hearing the words echoed in Shiro’s voice. Devoid of any feeling. His mother smiled. It was enough to freeze the ice in his veins.

“Then kill her.”

He expected Summer to burst through the great doors of the castle, bringing the fury of her heat that Keith had only heard legends of and never witness; or one of his Aunts, just as angry and vicious as they were when they tried to tear him apart and strip the flesh of his bones, but he was wrong. It was a human, a lone hero, with her armor dented and her sword stained, but she still stood strong and proud, determination burning through her like a flame.

The Ice Queen’s expression never shifted, but Keith knew that she hated this human, as much as she could hate anyone.

The battle was brutal and Keith couldn’t seem to look away. His mother watched, smug and proud as her warrior attacked the woman with all of his skill. Steel rang against steel and blood splattered against the white marble, but the woman would not yield. She countered each thrust, turning her opponent’s strength back against itself. She was weary and wounded, but something gave her the strength more powerful than his mother’s icy magic.

The woman pleaded with his father, begging him to listen, but he never hesitated as he tried to fulfill the Snow Queen’s orders. It wasn’t until the warrior sent his sword spinning away across the floor, striking him hard enough to fall that he stopped his attack. The woman tossed her sword away instead of striking the fatal blow, falling to her knees and pulling his father into her arms.

“Please.” She whispered, cradling him close. “Please come back to me, Kai. This isn’t you, you can fight this.”

But the man only had eyes for his Queen, powerful and terrible, who raged like a storm above them. She was too perfect that her beauty seemed more like a weapon, ready to cut anyone who dared reach for it. “Destroy her!” The Queen shrieked, but the man was too weak to obey.

“I love you.” The woman said, tears coursing down her face. “I won’t let her hurt you anymore, I promise. I’ll get you out of here, somehow.” The tears caught in the light, glistening down the woman’s face and caught for a moment against her skin before slipping free. His father gave a quiet groan, blinking his eyes rapidly as the woman’s tears caught in his own lashes. He curled around himself, clutching at his face in pain as a tiny chip of  _something_ , almost invisible and glittering like a diamond was washed from his eye. It fell to the floor and disappeared as a blur of feathers snatched the bit of glass before it could be lost.

“Gerta?” There was pain in the man’s voice now, and a quiet wonder. His gaze finally focused on the woman as life flooded back behind his eyes. With a muffled sob, Gerta kissed Kai, the pair holding each other close as Winter retreated to call one final attack against the lovers. The last thing Keith saw was his mother’s face, her own tears frozen to her cheeks.

Keith let the mirror mist over with a wave of his hand, and the silence within the castle returned with a new strength.

And Keith felt nothing.

Even through watching his father cry, watching him flee to safety, watching the relief break out on his face, emotions spilling across his features as he woke from slumber, released from the spell across his eyes. Even through imagining what Shiro would look like when he was finally freed - rescued by someone else.

He stood in front of the mirror for a long time, but chose not to see anything, one hand resting over his hollow chest, the other wrapped around his middle. Should he cry? Should he scream? He didn’t know, but he thought Shiro would. If Shiro were here, he would comfort him, as if Keith experienced anything worthy of that affection. But Keith didn’t, and it…

_THA-DUD. THA-DUD. THA-DUD_

…was okay.

There was only one role for Keith to play in this fairy tale, and he realized all that was left was for him to accept it.

“Show me Shiro.” He said. “One last time.”

He'd made the perfect monster.

 

* * *

 

Shiro always felt cold. No matter how thick his coat and no matter how many layers he wore, nothing could keep out the frost. He swore he could feel the ice crackling at his fingertips, forming and breaking around his skin. His vision had never been clearer, like he could see through a storm, like he could pick out every individual snow flake through a world that had too many angles. Shiro always felt cold, but it no longer scared him.

He was beyond fear, beyond pain or sadness or grief. Beyond hope. All that mattered was his Prince, and proving his worth for the position he held.

The dogs were tiring. After years of practice, he knew how to read them, knew how to work them to their most efficient, but it wouldn’t be long now. If they did not recover fast enough, he would simply have to replace them. The hunt would wait for no one, and their prey was within reach. It had taken him weeks to find the Owl’s tracks, and now that he did, he would not let it escape.

The owl hadn’t left the borders of the winter kingdom, driven by instinct to stay close to its former master even as it tried to lose itself between the thick pine trees of the forests beyond the tundra. Even if it had some kind of stolen magic inside of it, the owl was still just a beast and Shiro could was an expert at finding even the most subtle of signs. He’d been circling the same area for weeks, slowly narrowing down the search until he found the likely hiding spot. An old tree, hollowed and rotten, but protected by the surrounding pines. There were plenty of small animals to hunt and no larger predators to compete for prey.

All Shiro had to do now was wait.

The dogs panted around him, silent and exhausted from their trek as the shadows began to lengthen, but Shiro barely noticed. He held himself utterly still, barely breathing as he kept his eyes on the tree waiting for any sign. He could have stayed like this for days without tiring, his body filled with an energy that burned cold through his veins and drove him onwards. He wasn’t human anymore, he was something more. Another one of Keith’s creations, the blade of a knife to be wielded for his prince.

Movement rippled in the falling twilight, a flash of white that peeked cautiously from its nest in the heart of the tree. Shiro knocked his arrow and drew, picking out the shiny black of the owl’s eyes for his target. The dogs sensed his tension, rising to their feet and ready to spring as soon as the arrow was loosed, driving the owl’s body to the ground.

A single snowflake settled on Shiro’s cheek, his skin too cold to melt the crystal.

“Shiro!”

The voice startled him and his shot went wide, the owl screeching as it dove into the cover of the woods. He hissed, ready to fight off the attacker before recognizing his prince bursting through the trees and sank down to his knees.

“The owl, I almost had it. I can still catch it if-”

“Let it go.” The command ran counter to everything Shiro knew he had to do and he was caught, hesitating and unable to disobey.

“I’m sorry.”

Keith’s apology took him by surprise, and when the Prince fell into place beside him, Shiro didn’t know what to do. His chest felt too tight all at once, as Keith ran a careful hand down his cheek. His fingertips were soft and gentle, the touch as delicate as the fluttering of a butterfly’s wings, like he was worried about pushing too hard. Keith had no reason to apologize, but all Shiro felt was detached acceptance as he surrendered to his Prince’s wishes.

“Did I fail you?” It was the only logical conclusion. He must have done something to disappoint Keith, if he was being withdrawn from his mission. It was the most horrible thing he could imagine, but the curiosity seemed polite, at odds with the way Shiro was willing to die for his disgrace. All Keith would have to do was give the command and Shiro would fall on his sword.

“Never. You could never fail me.” Keith hissed, and Shiro imagined a flicker of something behind those startling eyes. He remembered thinking he could drown in them when he first met Keith. Shiro didn’t expect it to feel so numbing.

Keith cupped his cheek and turned him towards him, and Shiro went willingly. He was so pliant and soft, it surprised Keith after all this time, and he knew this would be his last chance to have Shiro in his arms. Keith wished he’d earned the right.

There it was. Keith exhaled sharply. It was everything he feared. Inside Shiro’s normally warm, kind eyes was a sliver of broken mirror. The same broken fragment he’d spent seasons seeking. His hunter had returned his most important treasure back to him, and it would be so easy to take it. Shiro would gouge out his own eyes if he asked, and it would finally be over. Nothing his aunts could do would ever hurt him again. No one would ever dare stand against him!

But Shiro would be gone.

Keith almost wanted to do it anyway. If he couldn’t have Shiro, then no one would.

He traced his thumb across Shiro’s lips, parting them slightly before leaning in to steal a kiss. They stopped a breath from each other, Shiro patiently waiting with none of the eagerness Keith wished still burned inside of him. It was a hollow victory, meaningless, but enough to distract Shiro from losing his prey. Even if the owl had disobeyed and even if it had hidden the shard of glass from him for so long, it was all that remained of family and Keith couldn’t have it killed.

“I have to let you go.” Keith murmured. “It’s time you found a new place where you’ll be safe, Allura has already offered to take you.”

A trace of confusion caused Shiro’s eyebrows to furrow and Keith had to stop himself from tracing the line with his finger. “But I’m supposed to stay with you? You said I hadn’t failed, I shouldn’t be leaving you alone.”

Keith would be more alone now than before without even the owl at his side, but not if this one last desperate plan held true. Taking the shard without keeping Shiro would be another empty victory, it had taken him too long to realize that. The man Shiro was, who he had been, it brought a life to the castle in a way nothing else could. All that power would be meaningless if he was wielding it alone. After so many years focused on power, what Keith truly wanted was right here in his arms.

“I’ve already agreed. I don’t want to keep hurting you, Shiro, it’s all I can ever do. I can’t give you back any of the things you’ve lost.” Keith pulled away, wondering if he just imagined the hunter’s hands had clung a little tighter to him than they did. Shiro was quiet and accepting, no emotions across his face as he watched the Prince use his power one last time.

Snow took shape, swirling together and forming something solid as the magic coursed through it. It wasn’t perfect, no matter how he tried, Keith didn’t have the strength enough to make it perfect, but that didn’t mean he stopped trying. He poured every bit of magic into his creation as Shiro watched intently, the form settling into something familiar enough to make even the hunter’s cold hands shake.

“Star?”

She looked like she’d stepped through a snowbank and was covered head to toe in soft snow. When she moved she was a little sluggish, but there was no hesitation, no limit to her affection. She licked first and asked questions later, trying to bowl Shiro, comfortingly solid against his touch, and Shiro gasped without meaning to, pulling her into an unsteady embrace. “Star, it’s not. It can’t…”

He knew the truth, but in that moment, he didn’t care. Nostalgia and affection made the headiest drug, and Shiro was struck by how much he missed her, how it wasn’t fair that this was the closest he was ever going to get to saying goodbye. His hands curled in her coat, icicles carved with such precision that they almost felt like strands of fur beneath his nails, and she barked like she was laughing. There was a reason she was pack leader. He had to fend her off with both hands, until she dropped on his lap like she used to when she was a puppy, and Shiro laughed. The sound hurt his throat, and echoed through his ears, prickling like it was made of needles whenever it reverberated, but it was worth it. It was still worth it.

“Why?” Shiro asked, turning to Keith with wide-eyes. The way the Prince held himself was too tense, the extent of his labor written in the hard lines of his stance, but Keith was still so painfully honest.

“I only wanted to make you happy.” His hands were balled into fists at his side, pressed into his flank like Keith had to keep himself from closing the distance between them. 

Shiro’s ribs felt too tight, constricting like they could choke the air out of him, and he had to look away. Star was beautiful, as full of life and excitement as in his memories, but she was already falling apart, losing her form even if her canine grin remained the same. It wasn’t fair. None of this was. No matter what he chose, Shiro was losing something important to him, and it seemed like the decision was already made for him.

“I don’t want this.” He whispered. “It shouldn’t be this way.”

“I’m sorry.” Keith said again, and he sounded younger than Shiro had ever heard him, young but brave, and Shiro couldn’t breathe properly.  “I didn’t think I could miss anyone as much as I miss you.” 

Shiro curled around Star as she crumbled in his hands, pressure building until it felt like something inside of him shattered. “I miss you, baby.” He whispered as she grinned at him, tongue lolling just like he remembered. She licked his cheek, snow melting like tears against his skin until he was crying too. His whole body heaved, wracked with broken sobs as she fell apart into nothing

Shiro sobbed, skin flushing as heat rushed back through him, though he didn’t even seem to notice the painful prickle of reawakening limbs or the new pain where his icy arm fused with flesh. He held the snowy remnants of what had been his sweet Star and let himself drown in the grief of everything he’d lost. His tears washed everything clean, the sharp needle in his eye catching the light as it trailed down his face. Keith reached out to catch it with one finger, the last missing piece of his mirror back where it belonged. It was all he could do.

Any more than that would kill Shiro.

The sound of Shiro’s heart was loud in the still winter air and Keith could feel the warmth rising from his hunter where they’d been nothing but a dull chill before. The shard’s poison was burned from Shiro’s system, but the price was high. Keith ached to press a kiss to his forehead or comfort with a gentle touch. A hundred missed moments, a thousand more regrets. He brushed Shiro’s hair back, the black strands burning white beneath his fingertips. “I’m so sorry.”

“Then don’t send me away.” Shiro’s voice was muffled and he didn’t look up. “I don’t want to lose you too.”

“After everything?” No, he’d seen Shiro suffer enough, all of it at his own hands. Being alone was the only way to protect everyone from his power.

“You wanted it to be my choice, this is what I choose.” The hunter finally raised his head, cheeks blotchy from crying and from the biting cold. He moved like he wanted more but Keith jerked away before they made another mistake.

“I can’t.”

Snow began to fall around them, filtering through the branches as they danced almost lazily from the sky. The pack crept close with their tails tucked between their legs, anxious and unsure what was happening. Shiro took a shuddering breath, raising his head to the sky and letting the mist curl between his lips. Everything hurt and he was so tired. “What happened to me?”

“A nightmare,” Keith whispered, watching emotions race across Shiro’s features. There were too many to name. The change was astounding, but he still knew Shiro wasn’t as afraid as he should have been. He watched Shiro struggle to retaliate, and he knew the moment exhaustion won out. Shiro was beautiful. Keith wondered if kissing him now would feel any different. He supposed he would never know. “But it’s over now.”

“I need to know.” Shiro insisted, and something in Keith’s chest settled, unclenching from its choke hold.

“You will. I’ll tell you everything.” Even if it means you’ll hate me. “But first we have to get back. It’s not safe out here.”

Shiro wasn’t convinced, but he chose to cooperate for now, even if just barely. Stubborn and willful, even in the face of his exhaustion. As Shiro turned back to the sled, he was attacked by his friends, overwhelmed in a storm of affectionate dog. No, not just friends, they were family. Keith supposed that was why he could never quite fit in.

He turned away from them, dry-eyed and hollow, but still willing to take a risk for the only family he’d ever known. “I know what you did… I forgive you.” Keith whispered to the forest. “The Hunter won’t be here for long. If you can, come back. Please. I would like you to come back.”

Keith trusted the wind to carry his message, and the snow fell harder. This was going to be the last time Winter felt so warm, but that was okay. Keith might not have felt love, but he would remember its shadow for as long as he lived.

 

* * *

 

The castle seemed colder now, and quieter. Shiro supposed he was partially to blame. He’d been asleep for the past two days, and nearly slept through most of the third, and his pack had tumbled over themselves to claim his room while he rested, but he needed to recover. He still felt off-kilter, and the emptiness where his prosthetic had been seemed even more jarring than it had the first time. The castle did its best to accommodate him, and Shiro was never left wanting. It just wasn’t enough because he hadn’t seen Keith since they returned home.

The Prince had told him the truth about the shard and how it turned him. Shiro wasn’t sure how to process what happened. He remembered every moment, but distantly. Everything had been so cold. It hadn’t been something controlling him, he hadn’t been turned into someone else. He just hadn’t  _cared_ , not about Keith, not about his dogs, not about anything.

It took time before he was able to move past the fear and frustration at having his agency stripped away from him. He’d been nothing more than a puppet, ready to dance at his master’s command. Something had kept Keith from taking advantage of his vulnerability and as upset as Shiro felt, he was grateful for that mercy. The owl had poisoned him, but Keith was the one who had saved him.

The trauma lurked like a shadow in his mind, striking when he was least prepared. Shiro wasn’t sure he would ever be free of its touch.

But through it all, one question kept haunting him: Was that emptiness how Keith felt all the time?

It couldn’t be, there was more behind Keith’s cold eyes than that nothingness. He was vulnerable, lonely, and so afraid of being hurt. Shiro had seen him show real compassion even if he never seemed to understand something like happiness or love. If he had enough time, maybe he could have found the answer to that question, but Allura was waiting to take him away and there was only so long he could stall her.

Shiro hesitated outside of the study door, knocking softly before creaking it open. He looked around hopefully as the dogs barreled into the room, but it was empty, the lanterns unlit like Keith hadn’t been here in days. Wherever he was hiding, it wasn’t here. Shiro covered his disappointment, ready to turn around and leave, but glimmering silver mirror in the center of the room caught his attention.

It had showed Keith before. If he couldn’t say goodbye, maybe he could at least just see him one last time before he left. Shiro approached the mirror warily before running his hand over the smooth, unblemished glass. It was whole again, the last piece back where it belonged and the Ice Prince’s power complete. Such a tiny little shard and it had changed so much.

“Doing a little spying?”

Shiro stiffened and turned with a scowl. His pack was less reticent, mobbing the young woman with wagging tails and panting tongues. Allura laughed and bent to scratch them, cooing happily. “Hello! Oh hello little ones, look at you.”

“I wasn’t spying on anyone, I just-” Shiro went to cross his arms before remembering he couldn’t quite manage that anymore.

“You were just looking for him, right?”

Shiro scowled. It wasn’t a secret, but he wasn’t comfortable being caught in the act by the person tasked with ‘taking him away.’ He couldn’t face her directly. He’d caught a glimpse of her once or twice within the castle walls, and had quickly fled each time. She was graceful and poised, like the dignified ladies of the court that Shiro only ever caught glimpses of through the drapes of their gilded carriages, but he would have to be a fool to believe she was all she appeared to be. Shiro warily kept his distance, even if Allura seemed nothing but polite to even the invisible servants.

He was running out of time. It was now or never.

“I need to talk to you.” There was something about the Queen of Summer that was impossible to pin down, like the longer he stared at the rich silks of her dress, the more the colors blurred together, shimmering with their own light. He squared his shoulders. “I don’t want to leave. I don’t know what you and your nephew agreed on, but I think he’s overstating the risks. The mirror’s fixed, and he’s got full control of his powers. Keith wouldn’t hurt anyone. It was never his idea to fight, and if - if any of you cared about him, you wouldn’t abandon him… I don’t want to abandon him.”

Something flickered across Allura’s face, something wicked and wise, and Shiro felt his resolve slipping. She approached him with the easy confidence of an apex predator, without the need of her powers to bolster he steps.

“Oh, you darling.” She said, leaning in close, and so close, Shiro could see the individual strands of her thick lashes. “I didn’t send you here to fix an antique.”

Shiro straightened, the muscles in his jaw tightening almost imperceptibly. “You didn’t send me here at all. I was never a spy, I never even met you before a few days ago.”

“If that’s what you believe, fine. But there’s no coincidence in your life, Takashi Shirogane.” Allura said calmly as the hunter bristled at the familiar use of his name.

“Whatever game you think you’re playing, I won’t be part of it. I’m not some pawn to hurt him.” He was defiant to the last and Allura liked that about the young human. It was his strength of will that had drawn her to him in the first place, a sense of honor and kindness with the strength to not just survive against all odds, but to inspire others to follow. He was a rare man, one whose talents she didn’t want to waste.

“I’m not interested in petty power struggles like my sisters.” She dismissed the thought with a wave of her hand like the idea was ridiculous. “If I wanted to take this kingdom, nothing would be able to stop me. What I care most about is balance and nothing has been balanced since my sister’s death.” Something about her changed, the beautiful, breezy woman taking on the look of a hardened warrior, even in her bright silks. She was a creature who had weathered countless tragedies, one who sacrificed to safeguard her vision.

“So you thought you’d manipulate events to send me here?” Shiro felt a flicker of anger, another all-powerful magic creature using him like his life and his choices meant nothing. “I suppose I have you to thank for my arm and my dog and oh, losing my mind in the process?”

For a moment, regret crossed Allura’s beautiful face. She cupped Shiro’s chin gently, murmuring a quiet apology. “It was a risk and I am sorry for your pain, but without balance, millions more will die. The Ice Prince has to be restored and there was no other way I could see to help. I did what I had to so I could save them. Now it’s time for you to do your part.”

“What part?” Shiro jerked away from her touch. “It’s fixed, he has his power and nothing’s changed. I can’t even touch him, he can’t even…he’ll never even feel…” The hunter turned away from Allura, looking at his own reflection in the mirror. He’d changed in the months he’d been here. The scars were new, his hair bleached an unnatural white, and his arm. Shiro turned slightly to hide the loss and frowned as Allura gave him a silent nod, watching in the reflection as she slipped from the room and left him to his brooding.

He wasn’t going to be a pawn again.

If he was going to end this, it was going to be on his terms, and no one was going to make his decision for him. But the mirror remained stubbornly empty, clouded over and dull and Shiro could hate the man who stared back at him.

“Show me the missing piece.” He hissed through clenched teeth. No one was listening, but he was frustrated and angry enough that it didn’t matter. “Show me how to get it. Show me how to find it! He needs it, if there’s something he can do, if there’s a way he can get past all this fighting he…”

Shiro’s shoulders fell forward, and his fist banged against the glass, skin prickling where it touched ice. If he wasn’t careful, it would burn. He was already losing feeling in his fingers. “Please. Show me how to help him.”

There was no answer, no swirl of color, no surge of magic, but the mirror seemed to mist over, blurring an image he didn’t want to see. It wasn’t fair. Shiro banged his fist against the glass, a snarl caught in his throat, and the mirror shuddered under his strength but never broke. That was when he heard it. Faint, like the rustling of leaves in the wind, and as fragile as a snowflake’s first fall. And once he noticed, the hunter could never forget it.

“Shiro?” Keith stood at the doorway, as cold and untouchable as always, but Shiro didn’t think he imagined the hesitation he read in the frame of his stance. “I saw Allura go. I thought…”

He thought Shiro would already be gone. He thought they’d never see each other again. He thought that Shiro could leave him.

“I don’t want to go.” Shiro thought he’d never seen Keith look so vulnerable. He looked young, icy demeanor cracking just enough to see the confusion within. The Prince had already given up, resigned to being alone without any hope.

“You have to.” He croaked, feeling like the ground lurched beneath his feet and desperately trying to set things right. “You can’t be here!”

“I love you.” The words were out of Shiro’s mouth before he could think and they both stared at each other in shock. Shiro recovered first, holding on to that truth with defiance. “I love you, Keith.”

_Tha-dud. Tha-dud._

The Prince made a soft sound, almost in pain, as he pressed his hands to his chest. The emptiness inside of him throbbed with ache the stole away his ability to speak. The surface of the mirror went white as frost bloomed across its surface.

There was something behind the glass, the same thing Shiro had seen before the owl had attacked him. An indistinct spark deep within the hazy mists inside the mirror that flickered and glowed, pulsing with its own soft red light. It was clearer now, the missing piece had almost brought everything into focus.

“Shiro.” Keith gasped, doubling over as his vision swam. The Hunter hesitated, turning back to the mirror with its hidden treasure and put his hand on the glass. It rippled like liquid, his fingers passing through the barrier with a shock of icy cold. He grit his teeth as the chill crawled up his arm and made his entire body shiver, but reached into the mist until his hand closed around something solid and Keith cried out, legs giving out and sending the Prince down to his knees.

Silver slid down Shiro’s skin as he pulled his hand free, the surface reforming into still, unbroken glass. The light in his hand pulsed again, heat trapped within the ice that surrounded it.

The Ice Prince’s heart.

It beat in steady time with Shiro’s pulse, deceptively solid under its frozen prison. Shiro couldn’t believe his eyes.

“It hurts,” Keith moaned, voice strangled with pain as he struggled for breath. “Why does it hurt so much?”

The Ice Prince had never been so vulnerable. Not in the middle of battle, not when Autumn threatened to overwhelm him. His eyes were fever bright, tears caught on his long lashes. It looked like he was trying to piece himself together, or resisting the urge to tear himself apart. And Shiro knew it could all end here.

As he looked down on the immortal prince, a terrible thought occurred to him. Revenge had never been possible, but this wouldn’t be that. This would be an end to Winter, an end to the treacherous cold that had claimed so many, the careless indifference that tore travelers apart. Keith was never intentionally cruel, but Shiro was far from his first victim. A phantom pain lingered where his right arm ended, the lingering bite of icy magic still embedded in his skin. There was no telling how many more Keith would claim because even if he wasn’t a bad person, he was dangerous.

And at least this way, he wouldn’t have to be so alone.

Shiro kneeled in front of the Prince, and something twisted inside his chest when Keith flinched away. It was ugly and bitter, a sick sort of satisfaction that came with the memory of the time Shiro had been helpless and hurt and so scared. It lasted only an instant, but it left Shiro ashamed.

“It’s the price of having a heart.” Shiro whispered. “It’s the price of feeling. You take the good and the bad. Keith… I don’t know what to do.”

“How do you stand it?” Keith’s voice broke as he reached for the heart that slowly began to melt in Shiro’s hands. His fingers danced over its surface, hesitant and afraid.

“Sometimes it feels like you can’t.” The heart was melting faster now and Shiro could feel its own heat trickling through his fingers. He held it gently, cradling the heart like it was fragile, protecting it. Keith had never forced him even when his own heart had been poisoned and cold, he’d never do the same to Keith now. “I love you anyways. Do you want to love me too?”

That was one decision that Keith never needed to hesitate over. He looked up at Shiro’s face and that smile he’d missed so badly, the dark eyes that shimmered with tears, the warmth inside of him that he wished he could wrap around himself without hurting them both. After everything, Keith had found a true friend, which was more than he ever thought possible. He wasn’t alone anymore because there was someone who wanted to stay with him.

The Prince closed his hands around the heart, holding tight to his own hands, and fought through the pain. He brought it close and a burst of power sent Shiro rolling back. Keith screamed as fire spilled through his veins, the pain unlike any he’d ever known. Fear filled him, anguish, frustration, wonder, emotions spilling into the emptiness in his chest until it felt like he would burst apart. He was drowning and dying, wheezing for breath as he burned. Too much, it was all just too much!

A solid arm closed around him, safe and familiar as it pulled him back. Keith shuddered and buried his face into Shiro’s chest with a sob.

Keith realized he had never been so warm. He cried until he had nothing left to give, floating above himself as his thoughts and emotions slipped through his fingers like quicksilver. It was too much to keep up with, too much to understand. Keith’s only hope was to hold on, and when he wasn’t strong enough, he knew Shiro would keep him anchored.

They stayed like that for a long time, until their shadows lengthened along the ground, and invisible servants called their lanterns to light. Just when Keith thought he’d had enough, a new fear gripped him by the throat, panic welling inside him and he wrenched away from Shiro.

But Shiro smiled, gentle and tentative, his hand still carefully moving up Keith’s side. Keith swallowed thickly. “I thought I hurt you again, and it was… I never wanted to. I don’t want to again.”

Shiro paused, before slowly taking Keith’s hand in his and twining their fingers together, pulling his hand close so they rested palm to palm. Shiro was so fragile and yet so strong, and he had a way of making Keith feel dizzy. “You never meant it. I know that. Even when things got difficult, I always knew you never meant it.”

“I’m sorry.” Keith’s grip tightened, but Shiro didn’t pull away. “I’m scared you’ll go. I never wanted you to go either.”

Shiro froze, exhaling shakily. “I know that, too.”

Keith reached up, tracing the curve of his mouth, following its shape. A not-quite frown, a not-quite smile, it was somewhere in between and Keith wanted to memorize it. He wanted to memorize everything Shiro had to offer and keep it for himself. “Did you know how long I’ve been thinking about kissing you?”

Keith had never seen Shiro flush so brightly, and something tugged at his cheeks, curving his lips into an easy smile.

“Well. Why don’t you show me?”

Keith felt like his chest was going to shatter, the spaces between his ribs pulling together like they were going to squeeze the air from his lungs, and Keith gave in, gave in and laughed, and when he pulled Shiro in, Shiro tasted it on his tongue.

 


	8. Chapter 8

“It’s coming down harder. We should go back.” Said what looked like a talking mountain of coats. Lance couldn’t see anything beyond Pidge’s mop of mousy brown hair, but that didn’t stop him from puffing up his chest and snapping at he hoped was her face.

“NO!” A flock of birds fled the frozen canopy in fear. Lance turned so quickly that his scarf smacked him in his face, but that didn’t take away from the concern that darkened his features. He gestured frantically to the tree line that seemed to grow thicker with every step they took. “Hunk is still out there. We have to get him home.”

“If we keep this up, we’ll all be lost out here,” Pidge said, clearly concerned but far more reasonable. “We can get other people to help too!”

“By then he’ll be a popsicle!” Lance wailed. He squared his scrawny shoulders, brave and daring in the way only the young could be, but just as loyal as the heroes of legend. “I’m the reason he’s out there. I’m not going back without him.”

With his head held high, he marched onwards, and even though Pidge sighed, she wouldn’t abandon her friends. Neither of them seemed bothered by the foreboding Northern mountains that loomed over them, or how the flurries had started to thicken.

They walked, and walked, and walked, until their feet ached and the branches thickened, and the blistering winds wiped their prints clean. They walked until they lost direction, and kept walking because it felt better than staying still. The cold seeped through their furs, despite all the layers they wore, and Lance couldn’t feel his toes.

“Maybe we should turn back,” Lance dared to say, even if it hurt his heart to ask. Hunk could be anywhere, lost and alone. It had started so simple. If Lance hadn’t made that dare, they’d all still be at Hunk’s house, waiting for his Mom’s hot chocolate, but Pidge didn’t answer him. She was far more interested in what lay ahead.

In the middle of a raging storm, someone was coming through the forest.

Lance wasn’t sure he believed his eyes at first, but the figure darkened and solidified. He was a tall man, draped in thick white fur that almost made him invisible against the snow. A heavy hood hid all but a tuft of white hair that poked out against his forehead, and his otherwise pleasant face was marred by an ugly scar. Then he smiled, and the flurries no longer seemed to fall so hard.

“You two shouldn’t be out here.”

And Lance bristled.

“Neither should you!” He snapped, even after Pidge elbowed him in the ribs. “Now get outta our way, we got to find our friend.”

“Your friend?”

“My Hunk!” 

Even though Lance expected a reprimand, the stranger was patient and forgiving, and offered them both another one of those careful smiles. “Don’t worry. I think I can help with that.”

But they were too late. Someone had already found Hunk.

 

* * *

 

“Are you sure this is safe?” The little boy asked around a yawn, but he was already cuddling closer. Hunk was curled on top of a monster of a wolf, almost as tall as a full grown man, and for once he didn’t have to worry about being the largest kid in class. He wasn’t even sure the wolf noticed him, but he couldn’t say it mattered. It was very warm up here, and right now, that beat concern out by miles.

“Well, they might lick you to death.” Keith warned with a serious expression, but humor teased around the corners of his mouth. He was really going to have to speak to Shiro about letting the dogs mix with the dire wolves, these beasts were getting so big they were going to finally eat everything in the magical pantries. Hunk laughed, giving the animal a friendly pat.

“And you’re sure it’s okay to stay with you? You’re a-, I mean you’re  _the-_ ” The boy gestured to the silver circlet Keith wore on his head with awe.

“Mmhmm.” Keith nodded. “You’re right, I  _am_  the best ice skater in the whole kingdom.”

“Best?” A voice called out behind him, already laughing. “I didn’t know we were going to add that to your list of titles. Isn’t Prince enough?” Shiro teased. There was a loud cry from two lumpy figures who yelled excitedly when they saw Hunk and tackled their friend to the floor. The wolf gave an amused huff before rearranging itself around the tussling children.

“I can be both.” Keith said with mock indignance.

“You’re just trying to be  _cool_.” The joke made the Prince groan. 

“Don’t you dare.”

“Don’t worry. One of these days, I’ll snow you who’s boss. I’ve been practicing.” Shiro said, very seriously, and Keith hid his face in his hands.

“Shiro no.”

The former hunter turned to his audience with a conspiratory wink, and said in the most solemn tone he could manage. “It’s hard challenging the Ice Prince. You never know when he’ll get cold feet.”

“Must you do this every time?” With a wave of his hands, Keith bid their giant wolf to rise, and the children atop its back squealed in equal measures of horror and delight. Shiro cackled, and slung his arm around the other man’s shoulders with an easy familiarity that bordered on scandalous when the Ice Prince of legend was concerned. Around them the snow seemed to slow, creating an intagible curtain that parted for them through the storm. Keith cast a glance at their cargo, watching as the littlest one hugged Hunk fiercely before the chattier one tried to take her place, monopolizing his best friend’s space. They were cold and tired and in shock, and knowing what he did, they would be fast asleep in a matter of minutes.

“Why were they running?” He asked softly.

“They lost their friend and refused to leave him behind.”

“Reckless.” Keith scoffed.

“Brave,” Shiro corrected, and elbowed him in the side.

“I never said they weren’t.”

The humans would never have traveled with such speed, but in the distance, town lights came into the distance. They stopped at the edge of the tree line, and as Keith had predicted, the trio had fallen asleep. Shiro detangled himself, but slowly, stretching up to give his wolf a fond scratch. “Go on, Shibro. Take them home.”

Keith let out a disapproving sound in the back of his throat, and it made Shiro laugh. They watched the big dog trot towards town before turning their backs, confident he would find a way to catch up.

“I thought you were busy,” Shiro teased, but gently, reaching out so he could lace their fingers together. He felt Keith’s hand through living ice, the twinge of magic a familiar flicker of nerves now. It was almost like he’d never lost his arm at all. Almost.

“I was, but now I’m not. I wanted to see you back anyway.” Keith said. “In case you forget… there’s snow place like home.”

Their laughter echoed through the night, carried on the winds of the storm.

The legends spoke of a powerful Prince who ruled the land of ice and snow far to the north. Like its sovereign, the land was full of wondrous beauty and bleak frozen wastes, all of winter’s glory within its boundaries. Dense pine forests dotted its southern most edges, the trees ancient and whispering secrets to each other as they swayed without even a hint of breeze. Small, cozy human villages dotted the quiet forests where the snow could melt for months at a time and give them a chance to harvest in a land free from war and conflict, like its southern neighbors. They lived peacefully, side by side with the magical beasts and spirits who roamed the woods.

Further north, wandering tribes traversed the barren, frozen tundras with herds of reindeer in tow. They crossed the towering snow-capped mountains and set up small fishing communities along the stormy coasts, following the animals they hunted for survival. Giants watched curiously from the rocky ranges while dire wolves retreated away from the creeping civilization. Life could be hard, but it flourished, finding a way even in the coldest nights by looking for the brightest days when the sun danced over the snow. The only way to survive in the Kingdom of Winter was by teamwork, and people banded together to make it their home. In this land of sun and snow, the Ice Prince ruled with absolute power from a palace built of stone and ice, surrounded by mountains and a frozen lake that had never thawed.

Yet the Prince held an indescribably warmth in his arms, a human stolen from the southern lands to be his immortal love. The Prince’s consort had once been an ordinary man, a hunter who had found his way to the Prince’s castle and rescued his heart, restoring the entire kingdom to its full glory. Love was not the Prince’s downfall or his weakness, it was his greatest strength. Together, they brought life and love to the kingdom, becoming beloved rulers and protectors to all within their borders; and feared enemies to those who dared oppose them, rushing into battle under the vigilant eye of a war-worn Owl. The Prince’s allies found an uneasy peace for the benefit of their kingdom, but always watched each other warily.

The two traveled their lands frequently, meeting with human and creature alike, with a pack of friendly dogs that tumbled at their heels. It’s said that they would often appear to children lost in the snow, whisking them from harm in their icy sled and to the safety of the palace. When the storms died down, they would bring the children home safely to their grateful families. Those who didn’t have a home found a welcome place at the castle and soon, the once silent halls rang with laughter and shouts of their new, ever growing family.

The seasons sniped and skirmished, always testing each other’s power, but the true animosity was gone. Each of the rulers retreated back to their own kingdoms, Spring and Autumn grumbling. Allura only smiled.

Balance was restored to the kingdoms at long last.

“You know,” Hunk said, as he wiped the sleep from his eyes on his front porch, and watched the storm swallow their escort whole. “No one’s going to believe us.”

“I’m not sure  _I_ even believe us.” Pidge said solemnly. 

“Snow place like home!” Lance announced suddenly with a cackle loud enough to startle Hunk. “I totally just got that!”

Pidge made a disgusted noise and shoved Lance in a snowbank.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find Dans on tumblr [here](http://itdans.tumblr.com/)  
> Rune's tumblr is [ here](http://runicscribbles.tumblr.com) and our joint twitter is [Here](https://twitter.com/Runicscribbles)
> 
> Come say hello. :)


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